Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Investigating The Recent History Of A Changing Planet With Innovative Isotopic Techniques And New Geologic Archives, Ryan A. Venturelli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally averaged Earth surface temperatures indicate a 0.8°C warming since 1880. Though this warming is a result of anthropogenic influence that has exceeded natural forcings, a thorough understanding of Earth's climate system requires a knowledge of changes in global temperatures beyond the instrumental record. To achieve this, we must supplement the temporally limited observational record with proxy records of environmental conditions in the geologic past. Though the foundational questions underlying interrogations of the geologic past are seemingly simple (What happened? When?), the accuracy of their answers depend upon accessibility and availability of geologic materials as well as the capabilities of …

An Investigation Of Cross-Links On Crystallization And Degradation In A Novel, Photocross-Linkable Poly (Lactic Acid) System, Nicholas Baksh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polymeric molecular structure consists of repeating units bonded together. Mechanicalproperties can be altered without affecting chemical makeup by altering the number of these units. Small molecules can be introduced and/or polymers can be modified to form bonds between molecular chains. Cross-linking, as this is called, also introduces mechanical variation with minimal effects on chemical composition. Lastly, polymer chains reorient themselves in response to intermolecular forces. This temperature dependent response is known as crystallization. Although chemistry is unaltered, mechanical properties can depend highly on the percent of the sample that is crystallized.

Cross-linking is known to enhance the mechanical properties of …

Using Quantitative Methods To Investigate Student Attitudes Toward Chemistry: Women Of Color Deserve The Spotlight, Guizella A. Rocabado Delgadillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The field of Chemistry Education Research (CER) has been interested in understanding the reasons why students struggle in organic chemistry courses. Reports show that students perceive the material as difficult and have trouble keeping pace with the volume of content taught within the course. Beyond these and other explanations of why students struggle in organic chemistry are affective factors, such as attitude toward chemistry, that influence students’ success and retention in this course. Studies have shown that in many instances, underrepresented groups of students report less positive attitudes than their peers. Of greater concern are the students representing multiple marginalized …

National Numeracy Network Officers And Board Of Directors, Milo Schield

Numeracy

National Numeracy Network Officers and Board of Directors in the year 2020.

Computing For Numeracy: How Safe Is Your Covid-19 Social Bubble?, Charles Connor

Numeracy

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many people to form social bubbles. These social bubbles are small groups of people who interact with one another but restrict interactions with the outside world. The assumption in forming social bubbles is that risk of infection and severe outcomes, like hospitalization, are reduced. How effective are social bubbles? A Bayesian event tree is developed to calculate the probabilities of specific outcomes, like hospitalization, using example rates of infection in the greater community and example prior functions describing the effectiveness of isolation by members of the social bubble. The probabilities are solved for two contrasting …

Review Of Social Workers Count: Numbers And Social Issues By Michael Anthony Lewis, Michael T. Catalano

Numeracy

Lewis, Michael Anthony. 2017. Social Workers Count: Numbers and Social Issues. 2019. New York: Oxford University Press. 223 pp. ISBN 978-019046713-5

The numeracy movement, although largely birthed within the mathematics community, is an outside-the-box endeavor which has always sought to break down or at least transgress traditional disciplinary boundaries. Michael Anthony Lewis’s book is a testament that this effort is succeeding. Lewis is a social worker and sociologist with an impressive resume, author of Economics for Social Workers, co-editor of The Ethics and Economics of the Basic Income Guarantee, and member of the faculty at the Silberman School …

Using Covid-19 Vaccine Efficacy Data To Teach One-Sample Hypothesis Testing, Frank Wang

Numeracy

In late November 2020, there was a flurry of media coverage of two companies’ claims of 95% efficacy rates of newly developed COVID-19 vaccines, but information about the confidence interval was not reported. This paper presents a way of teaching the concept of hypothesis testing and the construction of confidence intervals using numbers announced by the drug makers Pfizer and Moderna publicized by the media. Instead of a two-sample test or more complicated statistical models, we use the elementary one-proportion z-test to analyze the data. The method is designed to be accessible for students who have only taken a …

Simulations Of H2 Sorption In Metal-Organic Frameworks, Shanelle Suepaul

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-organic frameworks are a diverse group of crystalline materials consisting of metal ionscoordinated to organic ligands. Their characteristic high porosity, large surface area along with tunable pore structures and chemical functionalities make them an exceptional candidate for H2 storage applications. Computational studies of H2 sorption in metal-organic frameworks aid in producing molecular-level insights which can facilitate the design of structures with improved performance. In this work, various MOFs were investigated using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations.

Addressed first are two MOFs with rht topologies which consist of two chemically distinct Cu2+ ions coordinated to triisophthalate ligands. Through electronic structure calculations …

Possible Contamination From Rainwater In Community Pool, David Mcgregor

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

The project is meant to create an equation that can be used to estimate the amount of organic pollutant – bacteria - that is present in a swimming pool per day from rainwater. This equation is derived through a differential equation of the rate in minus the rate out. The created differential equation is an ordinary linear differential equation and is solved using an integration factor. The general solution is then converted into a specific equation using an initial condition. The resulting equation provides an approximate number of organic contaminants x(t) present in the pool after an …

Molybdenum Isotopes Unmask Slab Dehydration And Melting Beneath The Mariana Arc, Hong-Yan Li, Rui-Peng Zhao, Jie Li, Yoshihiko Tamura, Christopher Spencer, Robert J. Stern, Jeffrey G. Ryan, Yi-Gang Xu

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

How serpentinites in the forearc mantle and subducted lithosphere become involved in enriching the subarc mantle source of arc magmas is controversial. Here we report molybdenum isotopes for primitive submarine lavas and serpentinites from active volcanoes and serpentinite mud volcanoes in the Mariana arc. These data, in combination with radiogenic isotopes and elemental ratios, allow development of a model whereby shallow, partially serpentinized and subducted forearc mantle transfers fluid and melt from the subducted slab into the subarc mantle. These entrained forearc mantle fragments are further metasomatized by slab fluids/melts derived from the dehydration of serpentinites in the subducted lithospheric …

Exploring Best Practices In Geoscience Education: Adapting A Video/Animation On Continental Rifting For Upper-Division Students To A Lower-Division Audience, Siloa Willis, Robert J. Stern, Jeffrey Ryan, Christy Bebeau

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Well-crafted and scientifically accurate videos and animations can be effective ways to teach dynamic Earth processes such as continental rifting, both in live course offerings as well as in online settings. However, a quick search of the internet reveals too few high-quality videos/animations describing deep Earth processes. We have modified a hybrid 10.5 min video/animation about continental rifting and the formation of new oceans and passive continental margins created for an upper-division geology audience, retailoring it for a lower-division geology audience. A key challenge in successfully modifying such resources is aligning the cognitive load that the video/animation imposes on students, …

Magmatic Response To Subduction Initiation, Part Ii: Boninites And Related Rocks Of The Izu‐Bonin Arc From Iopd Expedition 352, John W. Shervais, Mark K. Reagan, Marguerite Godard, Julie Prytulak, Jeffrey G. Ryan

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 352 to the Izu‐Bonin forearc cored over 800 m of basement comprising boninite and boninite‐series lavas. This is the most extensive, well‐constrained suite of boninite series lavas ever obtained from in situ oceanic crust. The boninites are characterized as high‐silica boninite (HSB), low‐silica boninite (LSB), or basaltic boninite based on their SiO₂‐MgO‐TiO₂ relations. The principal fractionation products of all three series are high‐Mg andesites (HMA). Lavas recovered >250 meters below seafloor (mbsf) erupted at a forearc spreading axis and are dominated by LSB and HMA. Lavas recovered fromoff‐axis and are dominated by …

Monochromatic Long-Period Seismicity Prior To The 2012 Earthquake Swarm At Little Sitkin Volcano, Alaska, Matthew M. Haney, Helena Buurman, Stephen Holtkamp, Stephen R. Mcnutt

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Detection of the earliest stages of unrest is one of the most challenging and yet critically needed aspects of volcano monitoring. We investigate a sequence of five unusual long-period (LP) earthquakes that occurred in the days prior to the onset of a months-long volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquake swarm beneath Little Sitkin volcano in the Aleutian Islands during late 2012. The long-period earthquakes had two distinctive characteristics: their signals were dominated by a monochromatic spectral peak at approximately 0.57 Hz and they had impulsive P and S-wave arrivals on a seismometer located on Amchitka Island 80 km to the southeast of the …

Perceptions Of Scientists Held By Us Students Can Be Broadened Through Inclusive Classroom Interventions, Sarah L. Sheffield, Meghan L. Cook, Victor J. Ricchezza, Guizella A. Rocabado, Fenda A. Akiwumi

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

More diverse representation in undergraduate classrooms may be an important step towards turning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines into more inclusive communities. In the United States of America, the individuals whose work is discussed in typical introductory science courses collectively do not represent the diversity of students’ identities in the classroom and further reinforce existing stereotypes of scientists as male, white, and aged. Here we report on the implementation of a semester-long intervention in an introductory-level geoscience course at the University of South Florida, USA. We introduced students to individuals with marginalized identities who are either scientists or …

Ethical Product Havens In The Global Diamond Trade: Using The Wayback Machine To Evaluate Ethical Market Outcomes, Trina Hamilton, Seth Cavello

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Who benefits from ethical product markets? While most ethical products (e.g. fair trade and eco-certified products) are intended to benefit marginalized communities and vulnerable ecosystems, the reality is that the geographic preferences exhibited by so-called ethical markets may, in fact, reinforce global inequities rather than remedy them. It can be difficult to evaluate the outcomes of ethical product markets, however, because we are often limited to data from a small number of industries with widely used standards and certifications. This research pilots a new methodology, using an online archive—the Wayback Machine, to evaluate shifts in countries' ethical market share, focusing …

Large-Volume And Shallow Magma Intrusions In The Blackfoot Reservoir Volcanic Field (Idaho, Usa), M. S. Hastings, C. B. Connor, P. Wetmore, R. Malservisi, L. J. Connor, M. Rodgers, P. C. Femina

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

he Blackfoot Reservoir volcanic field (BRVF), Idaho, USA, is a bimodal volcanic field that has hosted silicic eruptions during at least two episodes, as recently as 58 ka. Using newly collected ground and boat-based gravity data, two large negative anomalies (-16 mGal) are modeled as shallow (< 1  km) intrusions beneath a NE-trending alignment of BRVF rhyolite domes and tuff rings. Given the trade-off between density contrast and model volume, best-fit gravity inversion models yield a total intrusion volume of 50-120 km³; a density contrast of -400 kg m^-3 results in two intrusions, each ~9 km x 4.5 km and about 0.5 km thick, with cumulative volume of 100 km³. A network of 340°-360° trending faults lies directly above and on the margins of the mapped gravity anomalies. Most of …

Calculating Probable Theoretical Offspring Genotype In Fruit Flies, Megan Keller

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

Being able to calculate an offspring's theoretical genotype is critical in genetic sciences. We calculate the theoretical genotype and phenotype of fruit fly offspring. Using the product rule, we determine the probability for each trait and then for each genotype. In conclusion, we calculate 64 different genotypes that are supposed to be possible, but only 8 phenotypes are possible.

Analyzing Piney Point’S Wastewater Discharge Rate, Josephina Reyman

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

Implicit differentiation is used in order to find the cubic feet of water dumped into Tampa Bay per hour from the Piney Point reservoir. To get to moles from cubic feet, a series of conversions is done while Le Chatelier’s principle explains how an increase in HPO₄ ^2- (hydrogen phosphate) in Tampa Bay is going to affect algae growth. The rate of moles of HPO₄ ^2- is analyzed as well as the consequences that come with dumping copious amounts of fertilizer water into an aquatic environment.

Volume And Cost Of Cylindrical Shaped Silo With Conical Roof, Gabriel Mitzakoff Parola

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

This project utilizes integral calculus to find the exact volume of a non-uniform cylindrical-shaped silo used to store wheat and calculate the cost of material utilized to build such silo. Due to its non-uniform shape, the silo is divided into two sections and the volume of each is calculated. The final volume for the silo with the measurements provided is approximately 2330.02 meters cubic and surface area of 1074.96 meters squared, which is considered to be a large capacity silo. With such a large capacity silo there are costs to be considered, such as the material cost which is calculated …

The Radius Of The Umbrella Cloud Helps Characterize Large Explosive Volcanic Eruptions, Robert Constantinescu, Aurelian Hopulele-Gligor, Charles Connor, Costanza Bonadonna, Laura Connor, Jan Lindsay, Sylvain Charbonnier, Alain C.M. Volentik

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Eruption source parameters (in particular erupted volume and column height) are used by volcanologists to inform volcanic hazard assessments and to classify explosive volcanic eruptions. Estimations of source parameters are associated with large uncertainties due to various factors, including complex tephra sedimentation patterns from gravitationally spreading umbrella clouds. We modify an advection-diffusion model to investigate this effect. Using this model, source parameters for the climactic phase of the 2450 BP eruption of Pululagua, Ecuador, are different with respect to previous estimates (erupted mass: 1.5–5 × 10¹¹ kg, umbrella cloud radius: 10–14 km, plume height: 20–30 km). We suggest large …

The Dangers Of Lift On Parked Planes: General Aviation Airport Safety, Robert Malloy

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

The focus of this paper is to investigate proper aircraft management for safety on an airfield. This is accomplished by looking at lift caused by powerful winds to the aircrafts stored on an airfield, and the tension it places on the rope that secures them. This work could be used to determine when aircrafts are in high-risk and need to be stored either in hangars or moved to other airports prior to storms. The calculations used to determine these conclusions are also explored in the paper.

Using Calculus To Plan An Open-Air Concert, Timur Kalandarov

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

A concert is a mass entertainment event held indoors, at concert halls, or outdoors (open-air festivals). These two formats differ greatly from each other. However, the goal of both events remains the same – to allow the audience to enjoy the musical performance. Indoor halls are designed for the best acoustics of sound. They are often circular and let sound waves travel around the inside of the building, like an echo bouncing back and forth. This makes the audience feel like they are surrounded by sound. Such places already have outlined spots for mounting music equipment with the highest efficiency. …

Surge Functions And Drug Interactions, Olta Tarko

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

The objective of this project is to analyze how surge functions work to understand the way drug concentration levels in the bloodstream of a human body vary over time after an initial dose. A surge function increases rapidly at the beginning of the dosage and drops slowly after it reaches its peak. It is important to realize when a certain drug reaches its peak and how long the effects will last on a patient, so a second drug can be administered without risking negative interactions. We explain the calculations used in order to properly understand the curve of a drug’s …

Moment Of Inertia In Applied Calculus, Saad Habib

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

This paper demonstrates the usefulness of calculus in structural/continuum mechanics. Calculus in structural/continuum mechanics is used to calculate mass, volume, centre of mass, moment of inertia and in solutions of differential equations. In this paper, we will use calculus to calculate moment of inertia. The area moment of inertia of a surface measures the resistance to deflection of the cross section to bending or buckling. Moment of inertia is used by engineers of inertia to determine the state of stress in a cross section and the amount of inertia. It represents a mathematical concept that depends on the size and …

Mathematical Reconstruction Of A Traffic Crash, Benjamin Covert

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

The objective is to find the impact speeds of two motor vehicles involved in a traffic crash. The calculations take into account the approach (pre-collision) and departure (post collision) angles, as well as weights and post collision speeds of both vehicles. The data is provided by Timothy Sleyzack who investigated this traffic collision. The conclusions confirm the validity of the use of Conservation of Linear Momentum in the field of traffic crash reconstruction.

Area Of Irregular Shaped Roof, Omar Alkhawaldeh

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

This project makes use of calculus, specifically integration, to find the exact area of a roof garden to minimize the cost of material used in flooring it. Since the roof is of irregular shape, it is divided into four sections, the integral of each section is taken, and a relationship between the integrals is generated. Positive results are found, and the data reveal that the area of the grass floor is 175.3 m² while the area of the wooden floor is 23.4 m² with the total price being 2472 US dollars.

Emergency Communications Deficiency Locator, Austin Collins

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

The Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA) is the newest edition to Life Safety in the state of Florida. The Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1) section 11.10.1 states that “In all new and existing buildings, minimum radio signal strength for fire department communications shall be maintained at a level determined by the authority having jurisdiction (Committee NFPA 1: Fire Code 2018). That authority having jurisdiction for our local Tampa Bay area is the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue department and they have posted their own requirements along with the Florida Senate for emergency communication standards. All existing “Hi-rise” buildings, 75 feet tall …

Evaluating The Improvement In Dna Fingerprinting, Dani Dray

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

DNA fingerprinting is a forensic technique used to create patterns that are unique to a person’s DNA. Previously, these fingerprints were made from 13 different segments of DNA, but today they are made from the 20 ones. The fundamental principle of counting is used to determine how much of an improvement was made after adding the 7 additional DNA segments. It is found that this addition greatly reduces the likelihood of two people having the same exact fingerprint, therefore improving the accuracy and reliability of DNA fingerprinting.

Predicting The Cost Of Dental Care Using A Probability Model, Nadine Wehbe

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

This paper uses survey data to present a probability model that allows dental offices to predict patient costs. The quantitative model is useful for developing and accepting capitation rates. It accounts for whether the care is initial care or maintenance care, the type of dental care (such as operative, prosthetics, or periodontics), and different age groups, all of which affect the cost of dental treatment.

Calculating The Probability Of Constitutional Isomers Of Pentane, Mary-Margaret Dare

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

Depending on the reagent, and orientation of collisions within a chemical reaction, organic molecules can be present as different constitutional isomers of the same molecule. We can analyze the likelihood of getting a mixture of pentane with certain conformers. Based on this, we find that there are 16 potential conformers, but 13 are identical structures, meaning only three are distinct from each other. Using the product rule, we then demonstrate how to go about calculating the probability of specific conformers, including specific identical structures, being present in a mixture, and then we demonstrate that process is strictly within the three …