Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Developing Scientific Literacy In Introductory Laboratory Courses: A Model For Course Design And Assessment, Benjamin Surpless, Bushey Michelle, Mark Halx

Benjamin E Surpless

Although science educators at all levels have focused on teaching students scientific literacy for nearly five decades, studies indicate that the average student remains far from scientifically literate. To address this issue at the local level, faculty at Trinity University, in San Antonio, Texas, significantly revised the curriculum of an existing introductory physical geology laboratory course. The course, which satisfies general education requirements at Trinity, was revised to provide students learning opportunities in a scientific process context as part of a new science literacy initiative. This effort was spurred by general dissatisfaction with the existing curricular structure of the course …

Modern Strain Localization In The Central Walker Lane, Western United States: Implications For The Evolution Of Intraplate Deformation In Transtensional Settings, Benjamin Surpless

Benjamin E Surpless

Approximately 25% of the differential motion between the Pacific and North American plates occurs in the Walker Lane, a zone of dextral motion within the western margin of the Basin and Range province. At the latitude of Lake Tahoe, the central Walker Lane has been considered a zone of transtension, with strain accommodated by dip-slip, strike-slip, and oblique-slip faults. Geologic data indicate that extension and strike-slip motion are partitioned across the central Walker Lane, with dip-slip motion resulting in E–W to ESE–WNW extension along the present-day western margin of the central Walker Lane since approximately 15 Ma, and dextral strike-slip …

Two-Phase Westward Encroachment Of Basin And Range Extension Into The Northern Sierra Nevada, Benjamin E. Surpless, Daniel F. Stockli, Trevor A. Dumitru, Elizabeth L. Miller

Benjamin E Surpless

No abstract provided.

Volcanism And Tectonics: An Exploration Of Volcanoes And Volcanic Deposits Using Google Earth, Benjamin Surpless

Benjamin E Surpless

No abstract provided.

Analytical Models For Atomic Friction, Yalin Dong, Ajay Vadakkepatt, Ashlie Martini

Dr. Yalin Dong

In this methods article, we describe application of Prandtl–Tomlinson models and their extensions to interpret dry atomic-scale friction. The goal is to provide a practical overview of how to use these models to study frictional phenomena. We begin with the fundamental equations and build on them step-by-step—from the simple quasistatic one-spring, one-mass model for predicting transitions between friction regimes to the two-dimensional and multi-atom models for describing the effect of contact area. The intention is to bridge the gap between theoretical analysis, numerical implementation, and predicted physical phenomena. In the process, we provide an introductory manual with example computer programs …

Program And Proceedings, The Nebraska Academy Of Sciences (1880-2015) Including The Nebraska Association Of Teachers Of Science (Nats) Division, Nebraska Junior Academy Of Sciences (Njas) Division, And Affiliated Societies: One Hundred-Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting, Cecilia Dorn

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

PROGRAM, FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015

7:30 a.m. REGISTRATION FOR ACADEMY, Lobby of Lecture wing, Olin Hall

8:00 Aeronautics and Space Science, Session A, Olin 249
Aeronautics and Space Science, Session B, Olin 224
Chemistry and Physics, Section A, Chemistry, Olin A
Collegiate Academy, Biology Session A, Olin B
Collegiate Academy, Chemistry and Physics, Session A, Olin 324
8:30 Anthropology, Olin 111
Biological and Medical Sciences, Session A, Olin 112
Biological and Medical Sciences, Session B, Smith Callen Conference Center
Junior Academy, Senior High REGISTRATION, Olin Hall South Lobby
9:00 Junior Academy, Senior High Competition, Preliminary, Olin 124, Olin 131
9:10 …

Hurwitz Monodromy And Full Number Fields, David P. Roberts, Akshay Venkatesh

Mathematics Publications

We give conditions for the monodromy group of a Hurwitz space over the configuration space of branch points to be the full alternating or symmetric group on the degree. Specializing the resulting coverings suggests the existence of many number fields with surprisingly little ramification —for example, the existence of infinitely many A_m or S_m number fields unramified away from {2,3,5}.

Measurement Of The Direct Cp Asymmetry In ¯B→Xs+Dγ Decays With A Lepton Tag, L. Pesántez Et Al

Faculty Articles

We report the measurement of the direct CP asymmetry in the radiative ¯B→Xs+dγ decay using a data sample of (772±11)×106 B¯B pairs collected at the Υ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e− collider. The CP asymmetry is measured as a function of the photon energy threshold. For E∗γ≥2.1  GeV, where E∗γ is the photon energy in the center-of-mass frame, we obtain ACP(¯B→Xs+dγ)=(2.2±3.9±0.9)%, consistent with the standard model prediction.

Public Debate Format For The Development Of Soft Skill Competency In Computer Science Curricula, Christopher S. Stuetzle

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We present a method for incorporating soft skill development into a traditional computer science curriculum through the use of a public debate format. The debate format forces participants to practice public speaking, active listening, teamwork, research and preparation, and critical thinking, as well as having the less obvious benefit of contextualizing the material taught in the classroom by introducing contemporary, real-world debate topics. This work presents an example of the incorporation of public debates in an upper-level human-computer interaction class, including a discussion of student feedback, and suggestions for adopting the debate format to other upper-level courses and its perceived …

The 2009 Multiwavelength Campaign On Mrk 421: Variability And Correlation Studies, P. T. Reynolds, Et. Al.

Physical Sciences Publications

Aims. We perform an extensive characterization of the broadband emission of Mrk 421, as well as its temporal evolution, during the non-flaring (low) state. The high brightness and nearby location (z = 0.031) of Mrk 421 make it an excellent laboratory to study blazar emission. The goal is to learn about the physical processes responsible for the typical emission of Mrk 421, which might also be extended to other blazars that are located farther away and hence are more difficult to study.

Methods. We performed a 4.5-month multi-instrument campaign on Mrk 421 between January 2009 and June 2009, which …

Proceedings Of The 127th Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Abstracts & Program, 2015], Iowa Academy Of Science.

Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science [Programs & Abstracts]

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2015 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science, including abstracts.

Euler's Multiple Solutions To A Diophantine Problem, Christopher D. Goff

College of the Pacific Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

April 2015 - Urban Sprawl In Kane, Kendall, Will And Mchenry Counties, Illinois, 1987 And 2007, Elisa Addlesperger

Elisa E. Addlesperger

Elisa Addlesperger’s map, created as part of a final project for GEO 243 Remote Sensing, shows the impact of development on availability of farmland in four collar counties in northeastern Illinois: Kane, Kendall, Will and McHenry. Landsat 5 multi-band spectral images from 1987 and 2007 were processed to create classes showing development density in each respective year. Open or agricultural land is indicated with a bright green. Based on this visual analysis, substantial amounts of arable land have been lost to development in Chicago’s collar counties. According to the state Department of Agriculture, Illinois has lost over 3.6 million acres …

Attitudes And Perspectives Of Front-Line Workers In Environmental Policy: A Case Study Of Ohio Epa And Wisconsin Dnr, Sara Rinfret, Michelle Pautz

Michelle Pautz

This research is an effort to focus on frontline regulators with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. An online survey was conducted of frontline regulators in these agencies to explore their knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives on policy implementation. More specifically, we endeavor to answer how frontline workers implement environmental policy. To analyze these data, we use two categorizations of factors (knowledge and attitudes, and contextual factors) offered by May and Winter (2009) to examine what influences the decision making of frontline regulators in their regulatory interactions. We find that despite common presumptions of adversarialism in …

Reconsidering Accountability For Environmental Inspectors: Trading 'Compliance By Computer' For Relationship Building, Michelle C. Pautz

Michelle Pautz

Demands for government accountability extend into all the aspects of government service and the environmental realm is no different. Environmental inspectors — the front-line workers in environmental protection agencies — are among the many civil servants who face demands for accountability. Unfortunately, although accountability is desirable normatively speaking, in practice it is not so simple. Accountability for environmental inspectors frequently involves measures such as the number of inspections completed, the efficiency of data entry in agency databases, and the turnaround time on inspection reports. Such measures leave environmental inspectors, who ideally want — and practically need — to be in …

Zwitteration Of Dextran: A Facile Route To Integrate Antifouling, Switchability And Optical Transparency Into Natural Polymers, Bin Cao, Linlin Li, Haiyan Wu, Qiong Tang, Bingbing Sun, He Dong, Jiang Zhe, Gang Cheng

Dr. Jiang Zhe

This communication reports a facile method for zwitteration of dextran with carboxybetaine (CB), which integrates superior antifouling properties, switchability between zwitterionic and cationic forms, as well as enhanced optical transparency into one polysaccharide material. This study provides a new avenue for generating multifunctional zwitterionic CB materials in situ.

The General Public’S Weather Information-Seeking And Decision-Making Behavior During Tornado Outbreaks In The Oklahoma City Metroplex In May 2013, Chen Ling, Michelle Madison, Jessica Adams, Kevin Warren, Michael Mudd, Kim Graves Wolfinbarger, Lans Rothfusz

Dr. Chen Ling

Severe weather impacts the lives of many people. Today's technology allows weather information to be distributed to the general public in many ways. However, it is not clear how people obtain information regarding severe weather, and how they make decisions based on the information. This study surveyed people in the Oklahoma City metroplex about their weather information–seeking and decision-making behaviors during the May 2013 tornado outbreaks. The preliminary results based on 124 survey responses show that people used and trusted television news most to obtain the severe weather information, followed by siren, weather radio, radio, looking at the sky, and …

How Does Dissipation Affect The Transition From Static To Dynamic Macroscopic Friction?, Naum I. Gershenzon, Gust Bambakidis, Thomas E. Skinner

Physics Faculty Publications

Description of the transitional process from a static to a dynamic frictional regime is a fundamental problem of modern physics. Previously, we developed a model based on the well-known Frenkel-Kontorova model to describe dry macroscopic friction. Here, this model has been modified to include the effect of dissipation in derived relations between the kinematic and dynamic parameters of a transition process. The main (somewhat counterintuitive) result is a demonstration that the rupture (i.e., detachment front) velocity of the slip pulse which arises during the transition does not depend on friction. The only parameter (besides the elastic and plastic …

Measurement Of Parity-Violating Asymmetry In Electron-Deuteron Inelastic Scattering, Wouter Deconinck

Articles

The parity-violating asymmetries between a longitudinally polarized electron beam and an unpolarized deuterium target have been measured recently. The measurement covered two kinematic points in the deep-inelastic scattering region and five in the nucleon resonance region. We provide here details of the experimental setup, data analysis, and results on all asymmetry measurements including parity-violating electron asymmetries and those of inclusive pion production and beam-normal asymmetries. The parity-violating deep-inelastic asymmetries were used to extract the electron-quark weak effective couplings, and the resonance asymmetries provided the first evidence for quark-hadron duality in electroweak observables. These electron asymmetries and their interpretation were published …

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol 5 Issue 20, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Boss Ultracool Dwarfs I: Colors And Magnetic Activity Of M And L Dwarfs, Sarah J. Schmidt, Suzanne L. Hawley, Andrew A. West, John J. Bochanski, James R. A. Davenport, Jian Ge, Doanld P. Schneider

Physics & Astronomy

We present the colors and activity of ultracool (M7–L8) dwarfs from the Tenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We combine previous samples of SDSS M and L dwarfs with new data obtained from the Baryon Oscillation Sky Survey (BOSS) to produce the BOSS Ultracool Dwarf (BUD) sample of 11820 M7–L8 dwarfs. By combining SDSS data with photometry from 2MASS and the Wide-field Infrared Sky Explorer (WISE) mission, we present ultracool dwarf colors from to as a function of spectral type, and extend the SDSS–2MASS–WISE color locus to include ultracool dwarfs. The , , …

Mechanism Of Assembly Of The Bardet-Biedel Syndrome (Bbs) Complex, Barry M. Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

1. Devon Blake. Devon was the most productive student I have had in my 18 years at BYU. The MEG award helped support his work from January 2013 through May 2014. During this time, Devon co-authored two papers on the effects of cell-type specific deletion of phosducinlike protein 1 (PhLP1) in rod and cone photoreceptor cells (Lai et al. (2013) J. Neurosci. 33, 7941-7951, selected by the Faculty of 1000 as a high-impact paper and Tracy et al. (2014) PLOS One in press). He reported this work in poster form at an international meeting of the Federation of American Society …

Dissipation Rate Of Turbulent Kinetic Energy In Diel Vertical Migrations: Comparison Of Ansys Fluent Model To Measurements, Cayla Whitney Dean, Alexander Soloviev, Amy Hirons, Tamara M. Frank, J. D. Wood

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Recent studies suggest that diel vertical migrations of zooplankton may have an impact on ocean mixing, though details are not completely clear. A strong sound scattering layer of zooplankton undergoing diel vertical migrations was observed in Saanich Inlet, British Colombia, Canada by Kunze et al. (2006). In this study, a shipboard 200- kHz echosounder was used to track vertical motion of the sound scattering layer, and microstructure profiles were collected to observe turbulence. An increase of dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy by four to five orders of magnitude was measured during diel vertical migrations of zooplankton in one case …

Cosm News, Georgia Southern University

College of Science and Mathematics News (2012-2019)

• Announcement of 2015-2016 COSM COUR Awards

Dynamical Generation Of Floquet Majorana Flat Bands In S-Wave Superconductors, A. Poudel, G. Ortiz, L. Viola

Dartmouth Scholarship

We present quantum control techniques to engineer flat bands of symmetry-protected Majorana edge modes in s -wave superconductors. Specifically, we show how periodic control may be employed for designing time-independent effective Hamiltonians, which support Floquet Majorana flat bands, starting from equilibrium conditions that are either topologically trivial or only support individual Majorana pairs. In the first approach, a suitable modulation of the chemical potential simultaneously induces Majorana flat bands and dynamically activates a pre-existing chiral symmetry which is responsible for their protection. In the second approach, the application of effective parity kicks dynamically generates a desired chiral symmetry by suppressing …

2015 - The Twentieth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Twentieth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 16, 2015. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Strong Influence Of Coadsorbate Interaction On Co Desorption Dynamics On Ru(0001) Probed By Ultrafast X-Ray Spectroscopy And Ab Initio Simulations, H. Xin, Jerry L. Larue, H. Öberg, M. Beye, M. Dell'angela, J. J. Turner, J. Gladh, M. L. Ng, J. A. Sellberg, S. Kaya, G. Mercurio, F. Hieke, D. Nordlund, W. F. Schlotter, G. L. Dakovski, M. P. Minitti, A. Föhlisch, M. Wolf, W. Wurth, H. Ogasawara, J. K. Nørskov, H. Öström, L. G. M. Pettersson, A. Nilsson, F. Abild-Pedersen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We show that coadsorbed oxygen atoms have a dramatic influence on the CO desorption dynamics from Ru(0001). In contrast to the precursor-mediated desorption mechanism on Ru(0001), the presence of surface oxygen modifies the electronic structure of Ru atoms such that CO desorption occurs predominantly via the direct pathway. This phenomenon is directly observed in an ultrafast pump-probe experiment using a soft x-ray free-electron laser to monitor the dynamic evolution of the valence electronic structure of the surface species. This is supported with the potential of mean force along the CO desorption path obtained from density-functional theory calculations. Charge density distribution …

Online Nonparametric Estimation Of Stochastic Differential Equations, Xin Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The advent of the big data era presents new challenges and opportunities for those managing portfolios, both of assets and of risk exposures, for the financial industry. How to cope with the volume of data to quickly extract actionable information is becoming more crucial than ever before. This information can be used, for example, in pricing various financial products or in calculating risk exposures to meet (ever changing) regulatory requirements.

Stochastic differential equations are often used to model the risk factors in finance. Given the presumption of a functional form for the coefficients of these equations, the required parameters can …

Extensions Of The Cross-Entropy Method With Applications To Diffusion Processes And Portfolio Losses, Alexandre Scott

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Rare event simulation is a crucial part of simulations. In financial mathematics, the study of rare events appear naturally when we consider risk measures such as the conditional value at risk. This thesis is composed of three related papers treating the rare event simulations subject: the first paper addresses rare event simulations using for diffusion processes, the second paper addresses rare event simulations for the normal and the Student t-copula model while the last paper addresses rare event simulations for a portfolio model where there is a correlation structure between the loss-given-default and the probability of default.

Geological Object Recognition In Extraterrestrial Environments, Gregory M. Elfers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

On July 4 1997, the landing of NASA’s Pathnder probe and its rover Sojourner marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration; robots with the ability to move have made up the vanguard of human extraterrestrial exploration ever since. With Sojourners landing, for the rst time, a ground traversing robot was at a distance too far from earth to make direct human control practical. This has given rise to the development of autonomous systems to improve the e?ciency of these robots,in both their ability to move,and their ability to make decisions regarding their environment. Computer Vision comprises a …