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.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 18
Filtering by
- Creators: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Description
In vitro measurements of cellular respiration have proven to be key biomarkers for the early onset of tumor formation in certain pathological mechanisms.1 The examination of isolated single cells has shown promise in predicting the onset of cancerous growth much earlier than current methods allow.2 Specifically, measurements of the oxygen consumption rates of precancerous cells have elucidated outliers which predict the early onset of esophageal cancer.2 Single cell profiling can fit in to current pathology studies and can serve as a step along the way, much like PCR or gel assays, in detecting biomarkers earlier than current clinical methods.3 Measurement of these single cell metabolic rates is currently limited to 25 cells per experiment. It is the aim of this project to increase throughput from 25 cells to 225 cells per experiment via the implementation of new hardware and software which fit with current methods to allow the same experimental structure. Successful implementation of such methods will allow for more rapid and efficient data collection, facilitating quantitative results and nine times the yield from the same experimental manpower and funding. This document focuses on the implementation ultra high density (UHD) hardware consisting of a pneumatic molar design, angular adjustment features and a mechanical Z-stage. These components have produced the most encouraging results thus far and are the key changes in transitioning to higher throughput experiments.
ContributorsUeberroth, Benjamin Edward (Author) / Kelbauskas, Laimonas (Thesis director) / Ashili, Shashanka (Committee member) / Myers, Jakrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
This long form creative nonfiction essay gives insider details on working in an emergency room as a medical scribe. The most pertinent topic is death and how the author copes with seeing patients die on a regular basis. Other topics are emergency room procedures, specific diagnoses and treatments, as well information on the other personnel in an emergency room.
ContributorsFeller, Aaron Lee (Author) / Gutkind, Lee (Thesis director) / Robert, Jason (Committee member) / Rowe, Todd (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Anole lizards that inhabit the islands and mainland of the Caribbean basin have evolved morphological traits adapted to the microhabitat that they occupy. The anoles on these islands have been characterized as "ecomorphs" or morphologically and behaviorally-adapted groups, including: crown-giant, trunk-crown, trunk, grass-bush, twig, and trunk-ground. Ecomorphs display morphological features that are specifically adapted to the habitat that the anole occupies. One key morphological difference is tail length. While the anoles Anolis carolinensis and A. sagrei have similar ratios of tail length versus snout-to-vent length (SVL), they occupy different microhabitats. Specifically, A. carolinensis inhabits trunk-crown habitats while A. sagrei is found in trunk-ground regions. In this study, I focused on analysis of the caudal vertebrae of these two species, to determine if the structure of the osteological elements reflected differences in microhabitat adaptation. Skeletal preparations reveal that A. carolinensis have 40 \u2014 46 caudal vertebrae, and A. sagrei have 38 \u2014 49 caudal vertebrae. Transverse processes are present in Ca1-8 in A. carolinensis whereas transverse processes in A. sagrei span from Ca1-42 vertebrae. Ca6\u201440 have autotomy planes in A. sagrei, whereas only Ca8\u201417 have autotomy planes in A. carolinensis. These findings indicate that A. carolinensis are limited in the ability to autotomize their tail compared to A. sagrei. A. carolinensis, living higher in the trees than A. sagrei, might incur a greater impairment of locomotor function if autotomized. There appears to be no differences between males and females of both species in respect to vertebrae lengths. Differences between A. carolinensis and A. sagrei in terms of vertebral length are found in Ca12-15, 29-30, 34, and 37. The finding indicates that almost all caudal vertebrae between A. carolinensis and A. sagrei have similar relative lengths, but seven vertebrae have statistically significant differences. The biological significance of the findings is not clear, but functional and myological studies may help elucidate the reason of the observed differences.
ContributorsLasku, Eris (Author) / Kusumi, Kenro (Thesis director) / Fisher, Rebecca (Committee member) / Hsieh, Tonia (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Ultrasound is a sound wave that produces acoustic pressure and is most commonly known as a noninvasive technique for bodily imaging. However, high-intensity focused ultrasound can be used for noninvasive physiotherapy. An example of this the treatment of tumors in the kidneys, as the sound waves of HIFU interacts with tissues in the body. For this thesis, the necessary parameters for ultrasonic stimulation of the central nervous system in rats were characterized.
ContributorsHughes, Brett William (Co-author) / Castel, Nikki (Co-author) / Hillen, Brian (Thesis director) / Helms Tillery, Stephen (Committee member) / Lozano, Cecil (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
AMPylation is a post-translation modification that has an important role in the survival of many bacterial pathogens by affecting the host cell's molecular signaling. In the course of studying this intercellular manipulation, there has only been modest progression in the identification of the enzymes with AMPylation capabilities (AMPylators) and their respective targets. The reason for these minimal developments is the inability to analyze a large subset of these proteins. Therefore, to increase the efficiency of the identification and characterization of the proteins, Yu et al developed a high-throughput non-radioactive discovery platform using Human Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays (NAPPA) and a validation platform using bead-based assays. The large-scale unbiased screening of potential substrates for two bacterial AMPylators containing Fic domain, VopS and IbpAFic2, had been performed and dozens of novel substrates were identified and confirmed. With the efficiency of this method, the platform was extended to the identification of novel substrates for a Legionella virulence factor, SidM, containing a different adenylyl transferase domain. The screening was performed using NAPPA arrays comprising of 10,000 human proteins, the active AMPylator SidM, and its inactive D110/112A mutant as a negative control. Many potential substrates of SidM were found, including Rab GTPases and non-GTPase proteins. Several of which have been confirmed with the bead-based AMPylation assays.
ContributorsGraves, Morgan C. (Author) / LaBaer, Joshua (Thesis director) / Qiu, Ji (Committee member) / Yu, Xiaobo (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is still not fully understood in the scientific community. Evidence has shown that viral infections are one of the important environmental factors associated with the disease development. Seven of the top T1D related viruses were selected to study the prevalence of viral humoral response in T1D patients using our innovative protein array platform called Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Array (NAPPA). In this study, each viral gene was individually captured using various PCR based techniques, cloned into a protein expression vector, and assembled as the first version of T1D viral protein array. Humoral responses of IgG, IgA, and IgM were examined. Although each class of immunoglobulin generated a wide-range of reactivity, responses to various viral proteins from different proteins were observed. In summary, we captured most of the T1D related viral genes, established viral protein expression on the protein array, and displayed the serum response on the viral protein array. The successful progress will help to fulfill the long term goal of testing the viral infection hypothesis in T1D development.
ContributorsDavis, Amy Darlene (Author) / LaBaer, Joshua (Thesis director) / Qiu, Ji (Committee member) / Desi, Paul (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Previous studies showed that rats preferred and also ran faster for multiple pellets than a single pellet of food. Here, we manipulated the rewarding effects of surface area occupied by food pellets on preference and running speed of rats trained on a T-maze. Twenty-two male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to prefer one T-maze arm containing 30 food pellets scattered and the other arm with 30 pellets clustered. There was a significant preference for clustered food pieces over the scattered ones. The choice of the clustered food pieces may be explained by the optimal foraging theory to maximize energy gain. Therefore, larger surface area occupied by food pieces may be less rewarding when unnecessary energy is expended.
ContributorsTran, Alexander Chauson (Author) / Phillips, Elizabeth Capaldi (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Mark (Committee member) / Bajaj, Devina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The effects of meditation on attention control have been widely studied in recent years. However, the methodological flaws of many of these studies raise serious concerns on the validity of meditation training as a cognitive enhancer. This study investigated the near and far transfer effects of mindfulness meditation training on attention control when a stringent experimental design was implemented. Participants in the experimental group practiced meditation for three twenty-minute sessions, and participants in the active control group listened to an audio book about meditation for similar times. No significant effect of meditation on change in performance on cognitive tasks was found. This study suggests that short-term mindfulness meditation training does not result in increased attention control.
ContributorsPatel, Sachi Rajul (Author) / Brewer, Gene (Thesis director) / Presson, Clark (Committee member) / Davis, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
ASU4Food's objective is to increase the visibility of the statewide hunger crisis among Arizona State University's campuses, and to raise monetary and food donations to alleviate this issue. By collaborating with a multitude of organizations both on and off-campus, we aim to become a well-known, powerful, and stable student organization. This thesis will cover the endeavors of Elana Niren, Theresa Reckamp, and Sidath Wijetunga regarding the maintenance, growth, and expansion of ASU4Food. ASu4Food has been striving to gain connections and the reputation that would allow it to become an "umbrella organization" with the ability to coordinate all of the food-raising endeavors at ASU. The effects of our actions can be seen in the club's stability. We are now being sought out by organizations such as the Salvation Army, Sunflower Farmers Market, and Shutterfly. However, there is still more work to be done, and we hope that this thesis will act as a guide for future generation of club members and officers, and that ASU4Food will continue improving in activity and efficiency for many years to come.
ContributorsNiren, Elana (Co-author) / Reckamp, Theresa (Co-author) / Wijetunga, Sidath (Co-author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Southergill, Keith (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Our goal was to design a method to express soluble folded major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins using human cell line HeLa lysate with the novel 1-Step Human In Vitro Protein Expression by Thermo Scientific in the presence of β2 microglobulin (β2m) and antigenic peptide.
We confirmed that the soluble protein MHC-A2.1 could be successfully attached to the Luminex magnetic beads and detected using the primary antibody anti-GST and the detection antibody goat mAb mouse PE. The average net MFI of the attached pA2.1-bead complex was 8182. Biotinylated A2.1 MHC complexes pre-folded with β2m and FLU M1 peptide (A2.1 monomers) were also successfully attached to Luminex magnetic beads and detected with BB7.2. The average net MFI of the detected A2.1 monmer-bead complexes was 318. The protein MHC complexes were multimerized on magnetic beads to create MHC tetramers and detected with BB7.2, PE labeled monoclonal antibody, via median fluorescent intensity with the Luminex platform. Varying protein, β2 microglobulin (β2m), and peptide concentrations were tested in a number of MHC-A2.1 protein refolding trials. Different antigenic peptides and attachment methods were also tested. However, none of the MHC-A2.1 protein folding and capture trials were successful. Although MHC-A2.1 complexes and recombinant MHC molecules could be attached to Luminex magnetic beads and be detected by Luminex arrays, soluble protein A2.1 could not be successfully expressed, refolded, captured onto Luminex beads, and detected. All refolding trials resulted in a net MFI of <25. The failed refolding and capture trials of A2.1 lead to the conclusion that human cell line HeLa lysate cannot be used to properly fold MHC molecules. However, efforts to refold the complexes onto Luminex magnetic beads are ongoing. We are also using the baculovirus expression system to refold soluble A2.1 lysate onto peptide-bead complexes.
We confirmed that the soluble protein MHC-A2.1 could be successfully attached to the Luminex magnetic beads and detected using the primary antibody anti-GST and the detection antibody goat mAb mouse PE. The average net MFI of the attached pA2.1-bead complex was 8182. Biotinylated A2.1 MHC complexes pre-folded with β2m and FLU M1 peptide (A2.1 monomers) were also successfully attached to Luminex magnetic beads and detected with BB7.2. The average net MFI of the detected A2.1 monmer-bead complexes was 318. The protein MHC complexes were multimerized on magnetic beads to create MHC tetramers and detected with BB7.2, PE labeled monoclonal antibody, via median fluorescent intensity with the Luminex platform. Varying protein, β2 microglobulin (β2m), and peptide concentrations were tested in a number of MHC-A2.1 protein refolding trials. Different antigenic peptides and attachment methods were also tested. However, none of the MHC-A2.1 protein folding and capture trials were successful. Although MHC-A2.1 complexes and recombinant MHC molecules could be attached to Luminex magnetic beads and be detected by Luminex arrays, soluble protein A2.1 could not be successfully expressed, refolded, captured onto Luminex beads, and detected. All refolding trials resulted in a net MFI of <25. The failed refolding and capture trials of A2.1 lead to the conclusion that human cell line HeLa lysate cannot be used to properly fold MHC molecules. However, efforts to refold the complexes onto Luminex magnetic beads are ongoing. We are also using the baculovirus expression system to refold soluble A2.1 lysate onto peptide-bead complexes.
ContributorsChang, Peter S (Author) / Anderson, Karen (Thesis director) / Chang, Yung (Committee member) / Sundaresan, Krishna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2013-05