Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Latitudinal Position And Trends Of The Intertropical Convergence Zone (Itcz) And Its Relationship With Upwelling In The Southern Caribbean Sea And Global Climate Indices, Kaitlyn E. Colna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a feature that results from the ocean-atmosphere interactions in the tropics around the world. The ITCZ is characterized by surface wind convergence, tall storm clouds, and it forms a belt of high time-averaged precipitation around the globe. The ITCZ undergoes seasonal migrations between 5°S and 15°N roughly following the subsolar point on Earth with the seasons, with a mean annual position located slightly above the Equator, between 2° and 5°N.

This study tested the hypothesis that there was a northward shift in the median position of the ITCZ in the first decade of the …

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Soil Composition And Accumulation Rates In Mangrove Wetlands, Joshua L. Breithaupt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are globally important environments for biogeochemical cycling and are the object of intensive research related to the sequestration and exchange of carbon with oceans, continents, and the atmosphere. Wetland soil core records of organic carbon (OC) provide insights about future ecosystem responses to global change by identifying temporal variability in the context of environmental changes including sea level rise (SLR), anthropogenic reductions in freshwater flow, and landscape-scale disturbance events. My studies of Gulf of Mexico mangroves involved the use of radiometrically-dated soil cores to identify spatial and temporal accumulation trends of various constituents including organic and carbonate carbon, …

Stormwater Infiltration And Groundwater Integrity: An Analysis Of Bmp Siting Tools And Groundwater Vulnerability, Kristopher Craig Gallagher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonpoint source pollution captured by urban stormwater runoff is the greatest challenge for surface water quality improvements. Computer-based design tools have been developed to help mediate this issue by guiding end users through the implementation of decentralized stormwater management. The majority of these tools focus on treatment via biofiltration, yet concern regarding this treatment regime is rising. Case studies from research past clearly indicate the susceptibility of groundwater to contamination from extensive anthropogenic activity at the surface. Contaminants, such as nitrates and pathogens, are not completely removed before runoff enters the underground watercourse. Additionally, national and state legislation, which explicitly …

Fatty Acid Biomarker Detection For Breast Cancer Using Differential Mobility Spectrometry With Non-Radioactive Ion Source, James Joseph Alberti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Differential Mobility Spectrometry (DMS) using a non-radioactive ion source (NRIS) is investigated as a possible medical diagnostic instrument for near real-time detection of breast cancer biomarkers. In previous clinical studies, concentrations of Linoleic, Palmitic and Stearic fatty acids have been observed at different levels in women with carcinoma breast cancer versus women with benign tumors or healthy women showing no signs of breast cancer. Present diagnostic methods require a biopsy of the suspect tissue and a microscopic lab analysis performed to determine its disease state. This process can take hours or days before the patient and doctor are informed of …

How Lessons From A Past Disaster Can Influence Resilience And Climate Adaptation In Broward County, Florida, Hannah Rose Torres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the face of future uncertainties, many places are struggling with decisions about how to prepare for and adapt to climate change. The purpose of this research is to shed light on the concept of resilience, and uncover lessons for resilience-building exposed by a past disaster, Hurricane Wilma.

The dissertation begins with an introduction (Chapter 1) detailing the research problem, key terms and overall research design. The study was conducted in three distinct phases. The first phase (Chapter 2), explored the concept of resilience to understand how it was defined in three South Florida communities. Content analyses of city and …

Geographical Information Systems (Gis) Applied To Urban Nutrient Management: Data Scarce Case Studies From Belize And Florida, Charlotte Juliane Haberstroh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient inputs into the environment greatly impact urban ecosystems. Appropriate management strategies are needed to limit eutrophication of surface water bodies and contamination of groundwater. In many existing urban environments, retrofits or complete upgrades are needed for stormwater and/or wastewater infrastructure to manage nutrients. However, sustainable urban nutrient management requires comprehensive baseline data that is often not available. A Framework for Urban Nutrient (FUN) Management for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was developed to specifically address those areas with limited data access. Using spatial analysis in GIS, it links water quality, land use, and socio-demographics, thereby reducing data collection and field-based …

Initial Comparative Empirical Usability Testing For The Collaborative Authentication System, Kim Bursum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Collaborative Authentication (co-authentication) system is an authentication system that relies on some or all members of a pre-registered set of secure hardware tokens being concurrently present to an authentication server at the moment of authentication. Previous researchers have compared various embodiments of the co-authentication system to each other including using Quick Response (QR) codes/cellphone cameras and Near Field Communication (NFC) between tokens. This thesis concerns the initial design and implementation of empirical comparative testing mechanisms between one embodiment of the co-authentication system and other commonly used authentication systems. One contribution is the simulated standard user ID and password login …

New Reaction Discoveries In Gold Catalysis, Seyedmorteza Hosseyni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, gold catalyst was employed to catalyze intermolecular reactions. Intramolecular reactions were far more advanced than intermolecular reaction in gold catalysis. With finding suitable ligands for gold catalysts, we were able to develop several transformations to synthesize interesting building blocks in organic chemistry including: allenes, furans, spiros, oxepines, propargyl ethers and ketones. These functionalities were synthesized by the use of triazole-gold(I) catalyst. Triazole, as a ligand bond to gold, showed enhanced stability of the catalyst, which resulted in better yields. Gold(I)/(III) redox chemistry also used for cyclopropanol ring openings which resulted in synthesizing substituted ketones.

Southern Ocean Transport By Combining Satellite Altimetry And Temperature/Salinity Profile Data, Michael Kosempa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zonal geostrophic velocity fields above 1975 dbar have been estimated for the Southern Ocean from 2004 to 2014 based on sea surface topography observed by Jason altimetry and temperature/salinity measured by Argo autonomous floats. The velocity at 1000 dbar estimated has been validated against Argo drift trajectory at the same pressure level available from the Asia Pacific Data Research Center (APDRC). Errors in mapping of dynamic ocean topography, temperature, and salinity have been quantified using the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE). Analysis of errors reveals significant correlations between depth-dependent and –independent contributions to the integrated transport. Further analysis revealed optimal …

Land Use, Stream Stability, And Benthic Invertebrates In A Dry Forest Watershed Of Western Costa Rica, Jacqueline Ann Demko

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a paucity of data on dry forests, the most threatened biome in the tropics. The Nandamojo is a tropical dry forest watershed in Western Costa Rica that has been impacted by varying degrees of human induced modifications. This research was conducted to examine the influence of land use and channel characteristics on invertebrate communities within a sub basin of the Nandamojo watershed. This study addressed three hypotheses: (1) sites with low tree cover and small riparian buffer zones will have high erosion, (2) macroinvertebrate abundance will be lower at sites with low channel stability values, and (3) benthic …

Evaporite Karst In Italy: A Review, Jo De Waele, Leonardo Piccini, Andrea Columbu, Giuliana Madonia, Marco Vattano, Chiara Calligaris, Ilenia D’Angeli, Mario Parise, Mauro Chiesi, Michele Sivelli, Bartolomeo Vigna, Luca Zini, Veronica Chiarini, Francesco Sauro, Russell Drysdale, Paolo Forti

International Journal of Speleology

Although outcropping rarely in Italy, evaporite (gypsum and anhydrite) karst has been described in detail since the early 20^th century. Gypsum caves are now known from almost all Italian regions, but are mainly localised along the northern border of the Apennine chain (Emilia Romagna and Marche), Calabria, and Sicily, where the major outcrops occur. Recently, important caves have also been discovered in the underground gypsum mines in Piedmont. During the late 80s and 90s several multidisciplinary studies were carried out in many gypsum areas, resulting in a comprehensive overview, promoting further research in these special karst regions. More recent …

Effects Of Anthropogenic Activity On The Green Swamp Preserve Ecosystem, Barbara Ann Nordheim-Shelt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Green Swamp Preserve is a large geographic area that has sustained many changes since Europeans settled in Florida. There has been little published research on the impacts of anthropogenic activity on this system. This thesis research seeks to document more recent changes in the Green Swamp and to evaluate the effects of various human activities on the system. The study period is from 1985 to 2015. For this time period changes in land use and landcover were examined using neural network classifications. Changes in vegetation health were evaluated by examining Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Green Vegetation Index …

City Of Gainesville Urban Forest Ecological Analysis 2016, Michael G. Andreu, David A. Fox, Shawn M. Landry, Robert J. Northrop, Caroline A. Hament

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Scaling And Functional Morphology In Strigiform Hind Limbs, Meen A. Madan, Emily J. Rayfield, Jen A. Bright

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Strigiformes are an order of raptorial birds consisting exclusively of owls: the Tytonidae (barn owls) and the Strigidae (true owls), united by a suite of adaptations aiding a keen predatory lifestyle, including robust hind limb elements modified for grip strength. To assess variation in hind limb morphology, we analysed how the dimensions of the major hind limb elements in subfossil and modern species scaled with body mass. Comparing hind limb element length, midshaft width, and robusticity index (RI: ratio of midshaft width to maximum length) to body mass revealed that femoral and tibiotarsal width scale with isometry, whilst length scales …

Hydroalkynylation Of Oxocarbenium Intermediates Via Au(I) Catalysis, Courtney Smith Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Au(I) catalysis has recently emerged as a powerful tool for the realization of a broad range of organic transformations. Despite this rapid development, attaining selectivity and maintaining catalyst stability remain significant challenges. Rational ligand design, such as the employment of NHC or TA ligands, has been used to confront these issues. This thesis focuses on the use of Au(I) catalysts bearing these ligands for the selective hydroalkynylation of enol ethers. By employing a TA-Au stabilized catalyst, [(OAr)₃PAu(TA-H)]OTf, the intermolecular hydroalkynylation of enol ethers, a substrate that is well-known to promote decomposition of the gold cation, was efficiently achieved. …

What Makes Water Policy Sustainable? An Analysis Of Water Policy In Us Cities, Rebecca Brady David

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation works to create a clearer understanding of sustainability in water policy. Current water policy in four US cities was compared to a matrix of recommended sustainability themes that have been presented in the literature to determine the extent of which these themes have been implemented into water policy. To best analyze policy for sustainability it is necessary to look at the policy of cities that are considered sustainable. This was determined by a city’s inclusion in “Most Sustainable US Cities” lists. The two cities that best represented sustainability were Austin, TX and San Francisco, CA. The research also …

Bat Urea-Derived Minerals In Arid Environment. First Identification Of Allantoin, C4H6N4O3, In Kahf Kharrat Najem Cave, United Arab Emirates, Philippe Audra, Pavel Bosák, Fernando Gázquez, Didier Cailhol, Roman Skála, Lenka Lisá, Šárka Jonášová, Amos Frumkin, Martin Knez, Tadej Slabe, Nadja Zupan Hajna, Asma Al-Farraj

International Journal of Speleology

Kahf Kharrat Najem Cave is a small cave in United Arab Emirates (UAE) that hosts a bat colony which is the source of guano deposits and peculiar centimeter-long yellowish stalactites. The mineralogy and geochemistry of these deposits were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic microanalysis (EDX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and stable isotope composition (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N). Urea CO(NH₂)₂ was found to be the main compound of these stalactites, while allantoin C₄H₆N₄O₃ was found to be an accessory urea byproduct. This paper …

Chemical Deposits In Evaporite Caves: An Overview, Paolo Forti

International Journal of Speleology

Chemical deposits inside evaporite (gypsum, anhydrite and halite) caves are far less common than those developed within limestone or volcanic cavities. Moreover they exhibit a lower scarce mineralogical variability due to several reasons, the most important of which are: 1) calcium sulfate and sodium chloride are by far less reactive than calcium carbonate; 2) evaporite outcrops normally have a low mineralogical variability within the cave recharge areas. Therefore these karst environments were less investigated from this point of view in the past: no general paper exists on speleothems developing in halite and anhydrite caves until present, while the last printed …

Mega-Evolutionary Dynamics Of The Adaptive Radiation Of Birds, Christopher R. Cooney, Jen A. Bright, Elliot J. R. Capp, Angela M. Chira, Emma C. Hughes, Christopher J. A. Moody, Lara O. Nouri, Zoë K. Varley, Gavin H. Thomas

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The origin and expansion of biological diversity is regulated by both developmental trajectories^1,2 and limits on available ecological niches^3,4,5,6,7. As lineages diversify, an early and often rapid phase of species and trait proliferation gives way to evolutionary slow-downs as new species pack into ever more densely occupied regions of ecological niche space^6,8. Small clades such as Darwin’s finches demonstrate that natural selection is the driving force of adaptive radiations, but how microevolutionary processes scale up to shape the expansion of phenotypic diversity over …

Estimating The Frequency Of Volcanic Ash Clouds Over Northern Europe, Elizabeth J. Watson, Graeme T. Swindles, Ivan P. Savov, Ian T. Lawson, Charles B. Connor, J. A. Wilson

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Fine ash produced during explosive volcanic eruptions can be dispersed over a vast area, where it poses a threat to aviation, human health and infrastructure. Here, we focus on northern Europe, which lies in the principal transport direction for volcanic ash from Iceland, one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. We interrogate existing and newly produced geological and written records of past ash fallout over northern Europe in the last 1000 years and estimate the mean return (repose) interval of a volcanic ash cloud over the region to be 44±7 years. We compare tephra records …

Secondary Minerals From Salt Caves In The Atacama Desert (Chile): A Hyperarid And Hypersaline Environment With Potential Analogies To The Martian Subsurface, Jo De Waele, Cristina Carbone, Laura Sanna, Marco Vattano, Ermanno Galli, Francesco Sauro, Paolo Forti

International Journal of Speleology

Over the past 15 years several expeditions by French, American and especially Italian cavers have unveiled over 50 caves in the Cordillera de la Sal (Atacama Desert, Northern Chile). Many of these caves contain a variety of speleothems and minerals, some of which have rarely been observed within karst systems. Most of the secondary deposits in these caves are composed of halite, but also other halide, carbonate, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate minerals have been found. Among the sixteen cave mineral species recognized, atacamite, darapskite, blödite, leonite, anhydrite, and especially antarcticite are worth mentioning. In one of the samples an …

Petrographical And Geochemical Changes In Bosnian Stalagmites And Their Palaeo-Environmental Significance, Veronica Chiarini, Isabelle Couchoud, Russell Drysdale, Petra Bajo, Simone Milanolo, Silvia Frisia, Alan Greig, John Hellstrom, Jo De Waele

International Journal of Speleology

Detailed petrographic observations have been coupled with trace element and δ¹³C - δ¹⁸O analyses in order to investigate their dynamics in two Holocene Bosnian speleothems. The potential of this multiproxy approach in providing a means to extract palaeo-environmental information from stalagmites whose stable isotope signals are noisy and without obvious trends has been tested. The studied stalagmites are mostly characterized by columnar microcrystalline fabric. At the sub-millimetre scale of lamination, different microcrystalline columnar sub-types (open and closed) have been detected and classified on the basis of the observed porosity and the crystallite size. The presence of …

Toxicity Of Fluorescent Tracers And Their Degradation Byproducts, Philippe Gombert, Hugues Biaudet, René De Sèze, Pascal Pandard, Jean Carré

International Journal of Speleology

Tracer tests are frequently used to delineate catchment area of water supply springs in karstic zones. In the karstic chalk of Normandy, the main tracers used are fluorescent: uranine, sulforhodamine B, naphtionate, and Tinopal®. In this area, a statistical analysis shows that less than half of the injected tracers joins the monitored restitution points and enters the drinking water system where they undergo chlorination. Most of the injected tracers is absorbed in the rock matrix or is thrown out of the aquifer via karstic springs: then it can join superficial waters where it is degraded due to the sun and …

Parts Of The Whole: Error Estimation For Science Students, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

It is important for science students to understand not only how to estimate error sizes in measurement data, but also to see how these errors contribute to errors in conclusions they may make about the data. Relatively small errors in measurement, errors in assumptions, and roundoff errors in computation may result in large error bounds on computed quantities of interest. In this column, we look closely at a standard method for measuring the volume of cancer tumor xenografts to see how small errors in each of these three factors may contribute to relatively large observed errors in recorded tumor volumes.

A Twenty-Year Look At “Computational Geology,” An Evolving, In-Discipline Course In Quantitative Literacy At The University Of South Florida, Victor J. Ricchezza, H. L. Vacher

Numeracy

Since 1996, the Geology (GLY) program at the USF has offered “Computational Geology” as part of its commitment to prepare undergraduate majors for the quantitative aspects of their field. The course focuses on geological-mathematical problem solving. Over its twenty years, the course has evolved from a GATC (geometry-algebra-trigonometry-calculus) in-discipline capstone to a quantitative literacy (QL) course taught within a natural science major. With the formation of the new School of Geosciences in 2013, the merging departments re-examined their various curricular programs. An online survey of the Geology Alumni Society found that “express quantitative evidence in support of an argument” was …

How Random Noise And A Graphical Convention Subverted Behavioral Scientists' Explanations Of Self-Assessment Data: Numeracy Underlies Better Alternatives, Edward Nuhfer, Steven Fleisher, Christopher Cogan, Karl Wirth, Eric Gaze

Numeracy

Despite nearly two decades of research, researchers have not resolved whether people generally perceive their skills accurately or inaccurately. In this paper, we trace this lack of resolution to numeracy, specifically to the frequently overlooked complications that arise from the noisy data produced by the paired measures that researchers employ to determine self-assessment accuracy. To illustrate the complications and ways to resolve them, we employ a large dataset (N = 1154) obtained from paired measures of documented reliability to study self-assessed proficiency in science literacy. We collected demographic information that allowed both criterion-referenced and normative-based analyses of self-assessment data. …

A Madison-Numeracy Citation Index (2008-2015): Implementing A Vision For A Quantitatively Literate World, Nathan D. Grawe, H. L. Vacher

Numeracy

This editorial recognizes the contributions made by Bernard Madison to the field of quantitative literacy with a bibliographic index of his papers, edited volumes, and works contained therein that were cited in the first eight volumes (2008-2015) of Numeracy. In total, 61 citing papers ("sources") cite 42 Madison works ("citations") a total of 218 times. The source and citation indexes provided in the appendix at the end of this editorial make it easy to see the direct contribution of Madison's work to the arguments and debates contained in the founding years of the journal. For those who are new …

Analyzation Of The Resistor-Inductor-Capacitor Circuit, Martin D. Elton

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

Starting with the basics of what a Resistor-Inductor-Capacitor circuit (RLC) is, i.e. its fundamental components, and ending with practical applications using advanced calculus to aid in predetermining the results and circuit design, this paper analyzes the RLC circuit via an advanced calculus based approach.

Diagnosing Breast Cancer With A Neural Network, John Cullen

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a minimally invasive biopsy technique that can be used to successfully diagnose types of cancer, including breast cancer. Immediately, it is difficult for a human to spot any trends in the cell level data gathered during a fine needle aspiration procedure. One way to predict the type of tumor a patient has, is to use a computer to develop a mathematical model based on known data. This project utilizes the Diagnostic Wisconsin Breast Cancer Database (DWBCDB) to create an accurate mathematical model that predicts the type of a patient’s tumor (Malignant or Benign). A neural …

Efficient Inversion And Uncertainty Quantification Of A Tephra Fallout Model, T. J. White, Charles B. Connor, Laura J. Connor, T. Hasenaka

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

An efficient and effective inversion and uncertainty quantification approach is proposed for estimating eruption parameters given a data set collected from a tephra deposit. The approach is model independent and here is applied using Tephra2, a code that simulates advective and dispersive tephra transport and deposition. The Levenburg‐Marquardt algorithm is combined with formal Tikhonov and subspace regularization to invert eruption parameters; a linear equation for conditional uncertainty propagation is used to estimate posterior parameter uncertainty. Both the inversion and uncertainty analysis support simultaneous analysis of the full eruption and wind field parameterization. The combined inversion/uncertainty quantification approach is applied to …