On the Prevalence and Nature of Computational Instruction in Undergraduate Physics Programs across the United States

A national survey of physics faculty was conducted to investigate the prevalence and nature of computational instruction in physics courses across the United States. 1246 faculty from 357 unique institutions responded to the survey. The results suggest that more faculty have some form of computational teaching experience than a decade ago, but it appears that this experience does not necessarily translate to computational instruction in undergraduate students' formal course work. Further, we find that formal programs in computational physics are absent from most departments. A majority of faculty do report using computation on homework and in projects, but few report using computation with interactive engagement methods in the classroom or on exams. Specific factors that underlie these results are the subject of future work, but we do find that there is a variation on the reported experience with computation and the highest degree that students can earn at the surveyed institutions.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

The SL(5R) Lie invariance transformation group for the 3-dimensional classical Kepler problem : a preparation, and induced group structure algorithm derivation

Recently,1 an algorithm has been derived for the explicit determination of an induced SL (n+2,R) Lie invariance transformation group for a completely integrable 2n - dimensional dynamical system defined on IR2n from that known for a free particle system with n degree of freedom. 2 In particular, the universal transitive Lie invariance transformation group for both the isotropic harmonic oscillator3 and the anharmonic oscillator4 (quartic potential) has been obtained by this algorithm. Further,5 it has been shown in theory and by example that a complete set of functionally independent constants of motion corresponds to an abelian subalgebra of the induced SL (n+2,R) group. In this work, preparations necessary to apply this algorithm to the 3-dimensional classical Kepler problem have been made. A brief explanation of the algorithm and its relation to the Kepler problem in given in Chapter I. The preparations including the identification of a suitable parametric form unifying the solution completely and simplify are given in subsequent chapters and Appendix I. They are followed in Appendix II by a paper6 containing the actually application involving the extension of the algorithm to arbitrarily reparameterized system. We should mention that only conservative Hamiltonian systems are treated in this thesis

Trends in Mirex Residue Levels in Lake Ontario Salmon – 1977 to 1992: Also Included Levels for Photomirex, DDT, DDD, DDE, PCB and Dieldrin

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) collected from Lake Ontario during the fall of 1992 were analyzed for mirex, photomirex, DDT, DDD, DDE, PCBs and dieldrin. Mirex in fillet tissue ranged from 0.095 to 0.48 mg/kg (mean= 0.24 mg/kg). Analysis of variance (ANOV A) revealed no significant difference (P=0.285) between mean mirex residue values for fish collected in 1977, 1982, 1986 and 1992. However, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), considering the covariate weight, indicated a statistically significant difference between 1977 and 1982, 1986 and 1992 mirex levels (P=0.001). Comparison of 1982, 1986 and 1992 by ANCOVA revealed no significant decrease in mirex levels. The following chlorinated hydrocarbons were also detected in fish tissue: photomirex (mean = 0 .10 mg/kg), DDT (mean= 0.17 mg/kg), DDD (mean= 0.071 mg/kg), DDE (mean= 0.82 mg/kg) and PCB (mean= 0.85 mg/kg). Dieldrin was only detected in the egg samples.SUNY BrockportBiological SciencesMaster of Science (MS)Biology Master’s These

An Experiment of the Time Variations of Cosmic Rays Underground

Ever since the discovery of cosmic rays, investigations of time variations in their intensity have been carried out in the hope of obtaining information on their nature and origin. Early experiments were somewhat contradictory, but it was soon clear that any variation present could be no longer than a few percent at the most. This meant that experiments had to be carefully planned and carried out over a long period of time to attain the statistical accuracy necessary for clear-cut results. In addition, the influence of the atmosphere and the earth\u27s magnetic field made it very difficult to interpret the experiments in terms of properties of the primary radiation

Trends in Mirex Residue Levels in Lake Ontario Salmon – 1977 to 1992: Also Included Levels for Photomirex, DDT, DDD, DDE, PCB and Dieldrin

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) collected from Lake Ontario during the fall of 1992 were analyzed for mirex, photomirex, DDT, DDD, DDE, PCBs and dieldrin. Mirex in fillet tissue ranged from 0.095 to 0.48 mg/kg (mean= 0.24 mg/kg). Analysis of variance (ANOV A) revealed no significant difference (P=0.285) between mean mirex residue values for fish collected in 1977, 1982, 1986 and 1992. However, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), considering the covariate weight, indicated a statistically significant difference between 1977 and 1982, 1986 and 1992 mirex levels (P=0.001). Comparison of 1982, 1986 and 1992 by ANCOVA revealed no significant decrease in mirex levels. The following chlorinated hydrocarbons were also detected in fish tissue: photomirex (mean = 0 .10 mg/kg), DDT (mean= 0.17 mg/kg), DDD (mean= 0.071 mg/kg), DDE (mean= 0.82 mg/kg) and PCB (mean= 0.85 mg/kg). Dieldrin was only detected in the egg samples

Reconstructing Southeast Iberian copper age mobility: a strontium isotope analysis of the Camino del Molino mass burial

This study is the first application of strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) isotope analysis to identify human mobility patterns during the southeast Iberian Copper Age (3100-2200 BCE). Human (n = 93) and faunal (n = 23) tooth enamel were sampled from the site of Camino del Molino (Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia, Spain), a dense communal burial pit in continuous use during cal. 2800-2400 BCE. Results show twelve human individuals and two of the fauna, an ovicaprid and a canid, are likely migrants to the burial area, exhibiting ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values higher than the fauna-defined local biologically available Sr isotope range (0.7064-0.7107). The identified non-locals were all adults and included both females and males. These migrant individuals were found throughout the burial, however, the number of migrants were highest in the upper most levels. The local male population had a greater Sr isotope variation in comparison to the local female population, which supports a gendered division of mobility. Inter-site comparison within the Iberian Peninsula showed the local biologically available ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values at the sites La Pijotilla and Perdigões from the Ossa-Morena Zone had comparable ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios with the majority of non-local Camino del Molino individuals and, potentially, reflect a transhumant pastoral orbit between these two regions. The Sr isotope results endorse transhumance as an important economic practice at Camino del Molino. Overall, this research supports potential wide ranging networks between Iberian Copper Age communities

Identifying gaps in climate litigation-relevant research: an assessment from interviews with legal scholars and practitioners

Climate litigation-relevant research has enjoyed high impact in recent years in the legal, media, and academic arenas. Yet there remains ample room for growth in terms of both the number of active researchers in the field and the range of topics analyzed. Through interviews with legal scholars and practitioners, this research identifies a variety of climate litigation-relevant research topics to inform research agendas, identify potential priority areas, and illuminate new topics

Can solar water kiosks generate sustainable revenue streams for rural water services?

Providing a sustainable supply of safe drinking water in rural Africa depends on sufficient revenue from user payments to maintain services. While handpumps have been the primary source of drinking water for rural Africans for decades, local revenue generation has been unstable, contributing to service disruptions and welfare losses. We examine the effect of upgrading manual handpumps to solar kiosks in rural Mali from 2019 to 2023. We model 452 monthly records of observed payments and metered water usage to estimate changes in volumetric use and revenue generation. Average revenues increase four-fold indicating stronger financial performance with solar kiosks. In contrast, we find no significant increase in the volume of water people use when a handpump is upgraded to a solar kiosk. We estimate that a 1 °C temperature increase is associated with a $9 increase in average monthly revenue and 366 more litres of water used every day per waterpoint. Our study suggests that rural Malians are more inclined to pay for water from professionally managed solar kiosks. However, seasonal volatility in water demand and uncertainty in the long-term revenue effect suggests caution in assuming solar kiosks are a definitive solution to the nuanced and dynamic nature of water user behaviours in rural Africa

Research priorities for climate litigation

This article characterizes key research gaps and opportunities for scientists across disciplines to do work that informs the rapidly growing number of climate lawsuits worldwide. It focuses on research that can be used to inform legal decisions about responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and climate damages. Relevant lawsuits include claims filed against government and corporate defendants alleging that they have violated environmental, human rights, constitutional, tort, and consumer protection laws due to their contributions to climate change and failures to control emissions. Constructive attention has recently been given to the important role of attribution science in informing some of these cases (Burger et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.7916/cjel.v45i1.4730; Stuart-Smith et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00686-4). Here, we draw upon both the published literature and conversations with diverse legal scholars and practitioners to characterize what further climate litigation-relevant research is most needed. In addition to key gaps in litigation-relevant attribution science, we identify and characterize the need and opportunity for further social science research to address the causes of climate inaction, and for further cross-disciplinary research to inform emerging legal questions on the allocation of responsibility for emissions reductions to align with temperature limits such as those set by the Paris Climate Agreement. Our primary goal is to identify areas for researchers who are interested in contributing to climate litigation and discussions about legal responsibility for climate change. We also seek to help the research community see this as a legitimate and important domain for timely, actionable scientific research

Research Priorities for Climate Litigation

This article characterizes key research gaps and opportunities for scientists across disciplines to do work that informs the rapidly growing number of climate lawsuits worldwide. It focuses on research that can be used to inform legal decisions about responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and climate damages. Relevant lawsuits include claims filed against government and corporate defendants alleging that they have violated environmental, human rights, constitutional, tort, and consumer protection laws due to their contributions to climate change and failures to control emissions. Constructive attention has recently been given to the important role of attribution science in informing some of these cases (Burger et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.7916/cjel.v45i1.4730; Stuart-Smith et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00686-4). Here, we draw upon both the published literature and conversations with diverse legal scholars and practitioners to characterize what further climate litigation-relevant research is most needed. In addition to key gaps in litigation-relevant attribution science, we identify and characterize the need and opportunity for further social science research to address the causes of climate inaction, and for further cross-disciplinary research to inform emerging legal questions on the allocation of responsibility for emissions reductions to align with temperature limits such as those set by the Paris Climate Agreement. Our primary goal is to identify areas for researchers who are interested in contributing to climate litigation and discussions about legal responsibility for climate change. We also seek to help the research community see this as a legitimate and important domain for timely, actionable scientific research