Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- Creators: College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
Description
Dental caries are considered the most common infectious diseases that impacts human populations worldwide. The human oral cavity is colonized by a wide range of microorganisms including viruses, protozoa, fungi, archaea and bacteria. Oral diseases begin with the development of dental plaque, a biofilm formed by the accumulation of bacteria. Of these bacteria, Streptococcus mutans has been identified as the leading cause of dental caries. Probiotics are described as live microorganisms which provide beneficial impacts to their host by improving the intestinal microbial balance. Studies have demonstrated that probiotic therapies may be suitable for decreasing the cariogenic potential of S. mutans as well as other cariogenic bacteria. In this study, it was hypothesized that probiotics would exhibit a significant effect on the population density of S. mutans within the oral cavity. Nine people selected in this study consumed Activia probiotic yogurt for a seven-day trial period. DNA was extracted from these swabs and analyzed by qPCR. The results showed the amount of S. mutans increased insignificantly (P>0.05), whereas the proportion of S. mutans in the entire community was insignificant (P>0.05). Individual subjects responded differently to treatment, indicating the influence of their preferential diet on S. mutans abundance. Studies conducted on the probiotic strains within the Activia yogurt were previously shown to be insufficient in antagonizing cariogenic bacteria, which attributes to these results.
ContributorsPortales, Lilia Katherine (Author) / Huffman, Holly (Thesis director) / Penton, Ryan (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
"Going back as far as the time of Hippocrates, ancient Egyptians, tribal African nations, and many other early civilizations, humans used herbal remedies to treat their ailments. One such remedy was willow bark, used in tea form, to treat rheumatism and fevers. This remedy was around for many thousands of years, along with other treatments containing salicylates, although this was not understood at the time. As time has gone on, the willow bark tea has been transformed into aspirin as we know it today. In addition to its medicinal uses, aspirin has become versatile in its uses, including use in homemade facial treatments and in the garden. As beneficial as aspirin has been, there are negative consequences to its use, particularly in young children, and it may have strange effects on gender when used by pregnant women. From such humble beginnings, aspirin has been shown to be more than a simple painkiller." Topics discussed in this paper include: the origins of aspirin and its use as a medical treatment, the beginnings of aspirin as it is known today, how aspirin interacts with the body, the specific chemical reactions that occur when aspirin is taken, aspirin as part of a heart health regimen, the possible uses of aspirin in treating cancer, general information about dosages and typical aspirin use, some side effects of aspirin use, and novel uses of aspirin that are not necessarily medical in nature. The beneficial nature of aspirin and the possibilities it presents are discussed alongside information about its potential limitations and negative effects.
ContributorsMontes, Ariana (Author) / Huffman, Holly (Thesis director) / Garg, Vikas (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Nutrition has been around for as long as human beings have resided on the planet, giving it one of the most impactful roles in history, particularly in medicine. Certain herbs or dietary restrictions could help individuals recover from illnesses—this form of healing has been passed down generations, which medical providers from all over the world take advantage of. Before the era of antibiotics and pharmaceutical companies, food was the medicine used to treat. As civilization has flourished and become progressive, it seems that certain qualities of the past have been forgotten, such as the power of diet. Medical providers like to push patients towards pharmaceutical intervention because of the financial profit that this method entails, which has been shown to backfire. These interventions are not solving the true problem, but only applying a short-term solution. Dietary restrictions as well as the increase in heart-healthy foods can entirely reverse these conditions in order to avoid the fatal effects they may have. With the increase in nutritional education amongst the population via medical providers, specifically primary care providers, patients are able to reverse the symptoms of effects of chronic cardiovascular disease amongst others.
ContributorsTarin, Marjan (Author) / Huffman, Holly (Thesis director) / Moore, Marianne (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
A comparison of the total phenolic content, total vitamin C, and concentration of arsenic were tested in leafy vegetables (basil and kale) grown in aeroponic systems and conventional agriculture soil acquired from local supermarkets. In general, the study shows that plants grown in aeroponic systems show comparable yield of Vitamin C and phenolic content, with absence of significant amounts of arsenic in aeroponically grown samples compared to those grown conventionally in soil.
ContributorsCarlton, Christopher (Co-author) / Harper, William (Co-author) / Huffman, Holly (Thesis director) / MclLwraith, Heide (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05