Digital Commons Network^™

Leading Jaguars - Dr. Jan Figa, Office Of Marketing And Communications

Newsroom

No abstract provided.

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda January 4, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews

• College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
• Caine College of the Arts
• Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
• Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
• College of Engineering
• College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources
• College of Science
• College of Veterinary Medicine
• USU Courses
• Other Business

Faculty Senate Committee Agenda January 8, 2024, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - November 27, 2023
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• Board of Education Meeting
• 3:30 Information
• Educational Policies Committee Report
• 3:35 Reports
• Council on Teacher Education Annual Report
• Faculty Evaluation Committee Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Scholarship Annual Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• 4:00 Old Business
• 4:05 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30

Scenario Setup And Forcing Data For Impact Model Evaluation And Impact Attribution Within The Third Round Of The Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (Isimip3a), Katja Frieler, Jan Volkholz, Stefan Lange, Jacob Schewe, Matthias Mengel, María Del Rocío Rivas López, Christian Otto, Christopher P.O. Reyer, Dirk Nikolaus Karger, Johanna T. Malle, Simon Treu, Christoph Menz, Julia L. Blanchard, Cheryl S. Harrison, Colleen M. Petrik, Tyler D. Eddy, Kelly Ortega-Cisneros, Camilla Novaglio, Yannick Rousseau, Reg A. Watson, Charles Stock, Xiao Liu, Ryan Heneghan, Derek Tittensor, Olivier Maury, Matthias Büchner, Thomas Vogt, Tingting Wang, Fubao Sun, Inga J. Sauer, Johannes Koch, Inne Vanderkelen, Jonas Jägermeyr

Faculty Publications

This paper describes the rationale and the protocol of the first component of the third simulation round of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP3a, http://www.isimip.org, last access: 2 November 2023) and the associated set of climate-related and direct human forcing data (CRF and DHF, respectively). The observation-based climate-related forcings for the first time include high-resolution observational climate forcings derived by orographic downscaling, monthly to hourly coastal water levels, and wind fields associated with historical tropical cyclones. The DHFs include land use patterns, population densities, information about water and agricultural management, and fishing intensities. The ISIMIP3a impact model simulations driven …

Differential Equations For A Changing World:How To Engage Students In Learning And Applying Differential Equations, Biyong Luo

CODEE Journal

In this article, I share my decade-long experience teaching an intensive five-week summer Differential Equation course covering complex topics and tips for creating an interactive and supportive learning environment to optimize student engagement. This article provides my detailed approach to planning and teaching an asynchronous course with rigor and flexibility for each student. An interactive teaching approach and variety of learning activities will augment students’ mathematical fluency and appreciation of the importance of differential equations in modeling a wide variety of real-world situations with special attention to ways differential equations can be relevant to creating public policy.

Odes And Mandatory Voting, Christoph Borgers, Natasa Dragovic, Anna Haensch, Arkadz Kirshtein, Lilla Orr

CODEE Journal

This paper presents mathematics relevant to the question whether voting should be mandatory. Assuming a static distribution of voters’ political beliefs, we model how politicians might adjust their positions to raise their share of the vote. Various scenarios can be explored using our app at https: //centrism.streamlit.app/. Abstentions are found to have great impact on the dynamics of candidates, and in particular to introduce the possibility of discontinuous jumps in optimal candidate positions. This is an unusual application of ODEs. We hope that it might help engage some students who may find it harder to connect with the more customary …

Splitfed-Based Patient Severity Prediction And Utility Maximization In Industrial Healthcare 4.0, Himanshu Singh, Biken Moirangthem, Ajay Pratap, Shilpi Kumari, Abhishek Kumar, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The healthcare industry has transitioned from traditional healthcare 1.0 to AI-powered healthcare 4.0. However, overall cost for patient treatment remains high and challenging to manage due to the absence of a centralized cost evaluation mechanism before hospital visits. Therefore, in this paper, we devise a cloud-based mechanism to calculate hospitals' star rating based on questionnaire with the application of Z-score and K∗clustering algorithm. To evaluate disease severity at cloud, splitfed technique is utilized in coordination with Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN). Finally, the cloud calculates provisional treatment costs and finds a preferable hospital with a low payable treatment cost and …

Pre-Service Teachers Notice Student Thinking: Then What?, Tara Barnhart, Heather J. Johnson, Miray Tekkumru-Kisa

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Research has demonstrated that pre-service teachers (PSTs) can learn to notice students’ thinking in sophisticated ways by analyzing videos of classroom interactions. What is less clear is how PSTs use what they notice about student thinking to inform how they respond. Secondary math and science PSTs from three teacher preparation programs were invited to analyze a video clip identifying noteworthy moments of student thinking and describing an instructional move they might make and why. A qualitative analysis of their responses indicates that the PSTs overwhelmingly noticed both the substance and the source of students’ ideas. However, the patterns in their …

Investigation Of Earthquake Sequence And Stress Transfer In The Eastern Anatolia Fault Zone By Coulomb Stress Analysis, Hamdi̇ Alkan, Aydin Büyüksaraç, Özcan Bektaş

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

A devastating earthquake with a magnitude of (Mw = 7.7) occurred on February 06, 2023, in the Pazarcık segment of the Eastern Anatolian Fault Zone, which has not shown major earthquake activity for a long time. On the same day, another earthquake with a magnitude of (Mw = 7.6) occurred in Ekinözü-Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş) in the northwest. Three more earthquakes with magnitudes of Mw = 6.6, Mw = 5.9, and ML = 5.7 occurred on the same day, and significant damage, loss of life, and property occurred in 11 provinces and districts. A sixth earthquake occurred with Mw = 6.4 magnitude …

Faculty Go To Washington For Leadership Roles At Nsf, Matt Windsor

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Educational Policies Committee Agenda January 4, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Chad Simon)
• Program Proposals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)
• General Education Subcommittee (Matt Sanders)

Comment On 'From Counterportation To Local Wormholes', Justin Dressel, Gregory Reznick, Lev Vaidman

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Hatim Salih discovered a method for transferring a quantum state with no particles present in the transmission channel, which he named counterportation. Recently (Salih 2023 Quantum Sci. Technol.8 025016), he presented a feasible procedure for its implementation. The modification of the protocol by Aharonov and Vaidman, adopted by Salih, justifies the claim that no photons were present in the transmission channel during counterportation. We argue, however, that there is an error in this paper. The analysis of a simplified protocol, which questions the validity of the two-state vector formalism description of the photon presence in the communication channel, is …

Preliminary Results Of The Great Kahramanmaraş 6 February 2023 Earthquakes (Mw 7.7 And 7.6) And 20 February 2023 Antakya Earthquake (Mw 6.4), Eastern Türkiye, Şule Gürboğa, Önder Kayadi̇bi̇, Hafi̇ze Akilli, Serap Arikan, Sevi̇lay Tan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The first MW 7.7 and second MW 7.6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes were the strongest tectonic events in Eastern Türkiye since the MW 7.9 Erzincan earthquake in 1939. The first and second events occurred on the Pazarcık and Çardak segments of the East Anatolian Fault System, respectively. A subsequent significant earthquake of MW 6.4 occurred in the Antakya fault zone. We summarize preliminary earthquake data and share our previous field observations to better understand the mechanism and provide scientific consequences for future investigations and layout planning. After combining the field observations, kinematic analysis of fault surfaces, investigations of orthophotos, characteristics of mainshocks, …

Surface Rupture During The 6th Of February 2023 Mw 7.6 Elbistan-Ekinözü (Kahramanmaraş) Earthquake: Implications For Fault Rupture Dynamics Along The Northern Branch Of East Anatolian Fault Zone, Mustafa Softa, Fi̇kret Koçbulut, Eli̇f Akgün, Ercan Aksoy, Hasan Sözbi̇li̇r, Orhan Tatar, Volkan Karabacak, Çağlar Özkaymak, Mehmet Utku, Özkan Cevdet Özdağ, Recep Çakir, Ahmet Demi̇r, Gökhan Arslan

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

On the 6th of February 2023, Mw 7.7 Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) and Mw 7.6 Ekinözü (Kahramanmaraş) earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye are devastating earthquake series that filled the existing seismic gaps on East Anatolian Fault Zone on the same day. The first Mw 7.7 earthquake caught most people in their sleep and 9 h later, a second one was triggered, ending up with more than 50k death toll, widespread damage to buildings, and massive landslides. This study presents the surface rupture geometry and coseismic displacement characteristics determined with field observations immediately after February 6, 2023, Ekinözü (Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye) earthquake (Mw 7.6). …

Tepehan Rockslide: A Large-Scale Earthquake-Induced Geological Structure Formed By Mw:7.8 Kahramanmaraş (Pazarcık) Earthquake, Türkiye, Ökmen Sümer

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

Three devastating and powerful earthquakes hit the southeastern and eastern parts of Turkey and the northestern part of Syria in February of 2023, causing many earthquake-induced slope movements. One of these major mass movements is called the “Tepehan Rockslide”, which was formed by the first Mw: 7.8 earthquake on February 6th, 2023 at Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) located in the Altınözü district of Hatay province. The rockslide involved the movement of Middle Miocene basement rocks that consist of clayey limestone, marl, and fine-grained clastic sedimentary rocks. The morphogenetic evaluation of the structure reveals that the Tepehan Rockslide is a very rapidly developed …

Response Of Water Resources To The Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes (Mw 7.7 And Mw 7.6) That Occurred On February 6, 2023, On The East Anatolian Fault Zone (Türkiye), Celaletti̇n Şi̇mşek, Görkem Akinci, Okan Fistikoğlu, Kerem Canli, Hasan Sözbi̇li̇r, Azi̇ze Ayol, Efem Bi̇lgi̇ç

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

On February 6, 2023, two destructive earthquakes of 7.7 MW and 7.6 MW occurred in Pazarcık (Kahramanmaraş) and Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş) at 04:17 and 13:24 hours, respectively. These earthquakes caused a surface rupture with a total length of 450 km in the region with an average displacement of 3 m between the Arabian and Anatolian plates. This study was conducted to investigate the physical deformation of the aquifer system and the current water quality characteristics in the affected region utilizing field observations and on-site analysis of water sources and tap water. The study revealed significant physical changes in the karstic springs …

Soil Liquefaction And Subsidence Disaster In İskenderun Related To The 6 February 2023 Pazarcık (Mw: 7.7) And 20 February Defne (Mw: 6.4) Earthquakes, Türkiye, Hüseyi̇n Öztürk, Craig A. Davis, İbrahi̇m Kuşku, Süleyman Dalğiç, Cem Kasapçi, Muharrem Alper Şengül

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The Mw 7.7 Pazarcık earthquake on February 06, 2023, struck southern Türkiye, causing typical liquefaction along the shores of İskenderun Bay. This liquefaction was characterized by lateral spreading, subsidence, and flooding. Subsidence-triggered sand ejecta, water flows, and opening cracks were identified in areas spanning approximately 2 km in length and 300 m in width. Based on coastal references such as lighthouses or harbor platforms, settlements of 0.8 m and lateral spreading of 0.4% were recorded along the coastal zone following the Pazarcık earthquake. According to camera recordings, liquefaction-related water and silty sand outflows occurred 29 min after the earthquake. The …

Designing A Convection-Cloud Chamber For Collision-Coalescence Using Large-Eddy Simulation With Bin Microphysics, Aaron Wang, Mikhail Ovchinnikov, Fan Yang, Silvio Schmalfuss, Raymond A. Shaw

Michigan Tech Publications

Collisional growth of cloud droplets is an essential yet uncertain process for drizzle and precipitation formation. To improve the quantitative understanding of this key component of cloud-aerosol-turbulence interactions, observational studies of collision-coalescence in a controlled laboratory environment are needed. In an existing convection-cloud chamber (the Pi Chamber), collisional growth is limited by low liquid water content and short droplet residence times. In this work, we use numerical simulations to explore various configurations of a convection-cloud chamber that may intensify collision-coalescence. We employ a large-eddy simulation (LES) model with a size-resolved (bin) cloud microphysics scheme to explore how cloud properties and …

Blue Whale And Krill Populations Modeling, Li Zhang

CODEE Journal

We present an intriguing topic in an undergraduate mathematical modeling course where predator-prey models are taught to our students. We describe modeling activities and the use of technology that can be implemented in teaching this topic. Through modeling activities, students are expected to use the numerical and graphical methods to observe the qualitative long-term behavior of predator and prey populations. Although there are other choices of predators and prey, we find that using blue whales and krill as predator and prey, respectively, would be most beneficial in strengthening our students' awareness of protecting endangered species and its impact on climate …

Nonlinear Dynamics Of Mountain Pine Beetle Populations: Discussion Of Forestry Policy, A Survey Of Existing Mathematical Models, And Code Base Demonstration, Scott A. Strong, Maya Maes-Johnson

CODEE Journal

This article presents existing mathematical models associated with mountain pine beetle populations in lodgepole pine forests, whose reproductive cycle requires the destruction of colonized host trees, decreasing timber availability/quality, and providing fuel sources for wildfires. With the existence of a positive-feedback loop with environmental warming, the need for intervention and management is clear. However, the legislative responses to the focusing events from our 2000-2010 North American epidemics are characterized as under-leveraged. While the reasons for this are multifaceted, increasing the capacity of STEM-informed individuals to take part in quantitative modeling of the underlying ecosystem generates awareness and provides pathways connecting …

Solar Panels, Euler’S Method And Community-Based Projects: Connecting Differential Equations With Climate Change, Victor J. Donnay

CODEE Journal

How does mathematics connect with the search for solutions to the climate emergency? One simple connection, which can be explored in an introductory differential equations course, can be found by analyzing the energy generated by solar panels or wind turbines. The power generated by these devices is typically recorded at standard time intervals producing a data set which gives a discrete approximation to the power function $P(t)$. Using numerical techniques such as Euler’s method, one can determine the energy generated. Here we describe how we introduce the topic of solar power, apply Euler’s method to determine the energy generated, and …

To Open Or Not To Open: Developing A Covid-19 Model Specific To Small Residential Campuses, Christina Joy Edholm, Maryann Hohn, Nicole Lee Falicov, Emily Lee, Lily Natasha Wartman, Ami Radunskaya

CODEE Journal

In May 2020, administrators of residential colleges struggled with the decision of whether or not to open their campuses in the Fall semester of 2020. To help guide this decision, we formulated an ODE model capturing the dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 on a residential campus. In order to provide as much information as possible for administrators, the model accounts for the different behaviors, susceptibility, and risks in the various sub-populations that make up the campus community. In particular, we start with a traditional SEIR model and add compartments representing relevant variables, such as quarantine compartments and a hospitalized …

Fitting A Covid-19 Model Incorporating Senses Of Safety And Caution To Local Data From Spartanburg County, South Carolina, D. Chloe Griffin, Amanda Mangum

CODEE Journal

Common mechanistic models include Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) and Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Removed (SEIR) models. These models in their basic forms have generally failed to capture the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic's multiple waves and do not take into account public policies such as social distancing, mask mandates, and the ``Stay-at-Home'' orders implemented in early 2020. While the Susceptible-Vaccinated-Infected-Recovered-Deceased (SVIRD) model only adds two more compartments to the SIR model, the inclusion of time-dependent parameters allows for the model to better capture the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic when surveillance testing was common practice for a large portion of the population. We find …

Raising Student Awareness Of Environmental Issues Via Writing Assignments With Differential Equations, Michelle L. Ghrist

CODEE Journal

In this paper, I discuss two environmentally-focused writing assignments that I developed and implemented in recent integral calculus and differential equations courses. These models of carbon storage and PCB’s in a river provide interesting applications of one-compartment mixing problems. The assignments were intended to focus student attention on sustainability concerns while also developing other essential skills. I discuss these assignments and their effect on my students’ technical writing and environmental awareness. Detailed introductory instructions and mostly complete solutions to these assignments appear in the appendices, to include sample student work.

Modeling Aircraft Takeoffs, Catherine Cavagnaro

CODEE Journal

Real-world applications can demonstrate how mathematical models describe and provide insight into familiar physical systems. In this paper, we apply techniques from a first-semester differential equations course that shed light on a problem from aviation. In particular, we construct several differential equations that model the distance that an aircraft requires to become airborne. A popular thumb rule that pilots have used for decades appears to emanate from one of these models. We will see that this rule does not follow from a representative model and suggest a better method of ensuring safety during takeoff. Aircraft safety is definitely a matter …

Using A Sand Tank Groundwater Model To Investigate A Groundwater Flow Model, Christopher Evrard, Callie Johnson, Michael A. Karls, Nicole Regnier

CODEE Journal

A Sand Tank Groundwater Model is a tabletop physical model constructed of plexiglass and filled with sand that is typically used to illustrate how groundwater water flows through an aquifer, how water wells work, and the effects of contaminants introduced into an aquifer. Mathematically groundwater flow through an aquifer can be modeled with the heat equation. We will show how a Sand Tank Groundwater Model can be used to simulate groundwater flow through an aquifer with a no flow boundary condition.

Process Optimization For Syngas Production From The Dry Reforming Of Methane Over 5ni+3sr/10zr+Al Catalyst Using Multiple Response Surface Methodology, Ahmed Al-Fatesh Dr., Mai H. Roushdy, Radwa El-Salamony Dr., Saba Alwan Dr., Ahmed Osman Dr., Sadeq Al-Faresh Dr., Hamid Ahmed Dr., Anis Fakeeha Dr., Ahmed Ibrahim Dr.

Chemical Engineering

5Ni+3Sr/10Zr+Al catalyst is synthesized using the impregnation method, characterized, and tested for dry reforming of methane. The influence of reaction temperature, feed ratio (CO2/CH4), and gas hour space velocity are examined using multiple response surface methodology through three factors in, a four-level central composite design. Second and higher-order regression models are applied to evaluate the interaction between the process parameters and responses. The results indicate that the reaction temperature is the most influential followed by the space velocity, while the feed ratio has a weak effect. The optimum values that maximize each of the response variables are found to be …

Applying The Sir Model: Can Students Advise The Mayor Of A Small Community?, Carrin Goosen, Mark I. Nelson, Mahime Watanabe

CODEE Journal

This is an account of a modelling scenario that uses the sir epidemic model. It was used in a third year applied mathematics subject. All students were enrolled in a mathematics degree of some type. Students are presented with the results of a test carried out on 100 individuals in a community containing 3000 people. From this they determined the number of infectious and recovered individuals in the population. Given the per capita recovery rate and making a suitable assumption about the number of infectious individuals at the start of the epidemic, they then estimate the infectious contact rate and …

Ode Models Of Wealth Concentration And Taxation, Bruce Boghosian, Christoph Borgers

CODEE Journal

We refer to an individual holding a non-negligible fraction of the country’s total wealth as an oligarch. We explain how a model due to Boghosian et al. can be used to explore the effects of taxation on the emergence of oligarchs. The model suggests that oligarchs will emerge when wealth taxation is below a certain threshold, not when it is above the threshold. The underlying mechanism is a transcritical bifurcation. The model also suggests that taxation of income and capital gains alone cannot prevent the emergence of oligarchs. We suggest several opportunities for students to explore modifications of the model.

On Progress In Exploring Controlled Viscous Limit-Cycle Oscillations In Modified Glauert Airfoil, Ethan Deweese, Lap Nguyen, Erik Vataker, William Mackunis, Vladimir Golubev, Ron Efrati, Oksana Stalnov

Publications

The paper reports on the progress in the development of a novel robust, nonlinear flow control technology that employs an array of synthetic-jet actuators (SJAs) embedded in 2-DOF, elastically mounted, optimized Modified Glauert (MG) airfoil design in order to control limit cycle oscillations (LCO) at low subsonic flow regimes. The focus here is on the conceptual design of the wind energy harvesting system that employs, e.g., a piezoelectric device to extract energy from plunging LCO, with the closed-loop controller being capable to sustain the required LCO amplitudes over a wide range of wind speeds. The current high-fidelity studies first include …