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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
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Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Modeling The Spread And Prevention Of Malaria In Central America, Michael Huber
Modeling The Spread And Prevention Of Malaria In Central America, Michael Huber
CODEE Journal
In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there were 216 million cases of Malaria reported in 91 countries around the world. The Central American country of Honduras has a high risk of malaria exposure, especially to United States soldiers deployed in the region. This article will discuss various aspects of the disease, its spread and its treatment and the development of models of some of these aspects with differential equations. Exercises are developed which involve, respectively, exponential growth, logistics growth, systems of first-order equations and Laplace transforms. Notes for instructors are included.
The Battle Against Malaria: A Teachable Moment, Randy K. Schwartz
The Battle Against Malaria: A Teachable Moment, Randy K. Schwartz
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Malaria has been humanity’s worst public health problem throughout recorded history. Mathematical methods are needed to understand which factors are relevant to the disease and to develop counter-measures against it. This article and the accompanying exercises provide examples of those methods for use in lower- or upper-level courses dealing with probability, statistics, or population modeling. These can be used to illustrate such concepts as correlation, causation, conditional probability, and independence. The article explains how the apparent link between sickle cell trait and resistance to malaria was first verified in Uganda using the chi-squared probability distribution. It goes on to explain …