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: School of Nutrition and Health Promotion
Description
According to the CDC, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. and rates are continuing to rise nationally and internationally. Chronically elevated blood glucose levels can lead to type 2 diabetes and other complications. Medications can be used to treat diabetes, but often have side effects. Lifestyle and diet modifications can be just as effective as medications in helping to improve glycemic control, and prevent diabetes or improve the condition in those who have it. Studies have demonstrated that consuming vinegar with carbohydrates can positively impact postprandial glycemia in diabetic and healthy individuals. Continuous vinegar intake with meals may even reduce fasting blood glucose levels. Since vinegar is a primary ingredient in mustard, the purpose of this study was to determine if mustard consumption with a carbohydrate-rich meal (bagel and fruit juice) had an effect on the postprandial blood glucose levels of subjects. The results showed that mustard improved glycemia by 17% when subjects consumed the meal with mustard as opposed to the control. A wide variety of vinegars exists. The defining ingredient in all vinegars is acetic acid, behind the improvement in glycemic response observed with vinegar ingestion. Vinegar-containing foods range from mustard, to vinaigrette dressings, to pickled foods. The benefits of vinegar ingestion with carbohydrates are dose-dependent, meaning that adding even small amounts to meals can help. Making a conscious effort to incorporate these foods into meals, in addition to an overall healthy lifestyle, could provide an additional tool for diabetics and nondiabetics alike to consume carbohydrates in a healthier manner.
ContributorsJimenez, Gabriela (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Lespron, Christy (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The development of the Diabetic Physiological state is influenced by the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE). This receptor was discovered in 1992, and the accumulation of research on this subject has been extensive. Structural characterization studies of the RAGE protein have shown that it is a transmembrane protein that binds a number of different motile ligands. The diversity of ligands that can attach to the binding domain is the primary factor that allows for RAGE to exhibit its wide-range effects on host cells. Two different studies were completed: one study dealt with the role of IAPP in beta cell death, and the second study was related to RAGE influence on cardiomyocytes and, more specifically, it was related to cardiac cell death. After the completion of the two studies, a comprehensive report was written for each topic. The two papers were merged into a single document. Molecular studies are important for understanding the underlying mechanisms that motivate pathophysiological presentation. In addition to a molecular understanding of the development of diabetes, a clinical research study was completed through the examination of appropriate literature sources. This clinical aspect allowed for the progression of different phases in the research process. A relationship between vinegar and lower plasma glucose was found. The exact mechanism behind this relationship will be studied in the future.
ContributorsGonzalez, Matthew Joseph (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Collins, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Problem: Overweight and obesity are global issues. There are several strategies for weight loss and maintenance as well as general lifestyle change for overall better health. The goal is to find an easy and convenient way for people to track their food intake, either for personal use and improvement, or to be used by professionals such as registered dietitians to gather data and help improve diet. Currently food journals, food frequency questionnaires and 24-hour recall are methods that are used by registered dietitians to get an idea of what is general diet is like from their patients or clients. It was proposed that pictures taken of the meal with a phone could be used as a method of recording food intake. It would be quick and extremely easy on the client; then everything from portion size, to type of food and toppings could be analyzed quickly and conveniently. If effective it could also give rise to the ability for foods to be analyzed immediately with the text or email of the picture. Methods: subjects already participating in a separate study where they were instructed to take pictures of their meals for a difference purpose were recruited. There recorded diet intake with phone pictures were able to be used from seven subjects. Subjects took a snapshot of their meals for 3 separate days and also logged on and completed a 24 hour recall with the ASA website. The pictures were analyzed and food intake, based off the pictures was entered in the program Food Processor to generate a nutritional report. The results from the ASA 24 hour recall, based on what the subject entered, were compared to the nutritional report, generated based on review of the pictures. Nutrient values that were compared include: total energy intake (calories), protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamin C, calcium and fiber. This was done to test if the pictures could be used as a valid source. Results: It was found that there were several problems with using the pictures as a method of analyzing food intake. Out of the seven subjects the result of only one subject was close between the two methods. All other results of calculated nutrient intake varied significantly and it did not prove to be effective to use pictures to analyze food intake. Conclusions: food intake recorded by picture method may prove to be useful in the future, however there would need to be greater compliance and training on picturing food that can be accurately analyzed. Short written explanation of food type and cooking method etc. would be most beneficial to include with actual picture. Pictures of food intake may be useful in other professional areas but as of now are not useful to generate nutritional reports.
ContributorsLouden, Karina Arianne (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Morse, Lisa (Committee member) / Appel, Christy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Background. Research suggests that fish oil can be used as an intervention to increase clotting times and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Objective. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of fish oil supplementation on blood coagulation parameters in adults with blood type A (BTA) compared to blood type O (BTO) over an eight-week intervention.
Design. The study was a randomized, double-blind dietary intervention using healthy adults with blood types A or O. A total of 18 participants completed the study. Subjects were randomized into two groups: an experimental group (fish oil) made up of 7 BTO and 4 BTA adults, and a control group (coconut oil) made up of 4 BTO and 3 BTA adults. Non-fasting blood was drawn and analyzed for prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and international normalized ratio (INR) at weeks 0 and 8. A food frequency questionnaire was completed at week 0, and anthropometric data collected at weeks 0 and 8.
Results. Baseline PTT results differed significantly between blood types, 28.1±1.4 seconds and 29.7±1.3 seconds for BTA and BTO respectively (p<0.05). Physical activity differed significantly between the experimental and control group at baseline, 53.9±26.8 METS and 86.0±41.9 METS, respectively (p<0.05). In the Fish oil group, prothrombin time increased for BTA vs. BTO, 0.18±0.29 seconds vs -0.11±0.31 seconds respectively (p<0.10indicating a statistical trend). There were no other differences between groups for the other outcome variables.
Conclusion. Fish oil supplementation prolonged clotting time in BTA adults and may be a useful strategy in this population for reducing cardiovascular disease risk. More research is needed to verify and expand these results.
Objective. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of fish oil supplementation on blood coagulation parameters in adults with blood type A (BTA) compared to blood type O (BTO) over an eight-week intervention.
Design. The study was a randomized, double-blind dietary intervention using healthy adults with blood types A or O. A total of 18 participants completed the study. Subjects were randomized into two groups: an experimental group (fish oil) made up of 7 BTO and 4 BTA adults, and a control group (coconut oil) made up of 4 BTO and 3 BTA adults. Non-fasting blood was drawn and analyzed for prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and international normalized ratio (INR) at weeks 0 and 8. A food frequency questionnaire was completed at week 0, and anthropometric data collected at weeks 0 and 8.
Results. Baseline PTT results differed significantly between blood types, 28.1±1.4 seconds and 29.7±1.3 seconds for BTA and BTO respectively (p<0.05). Physical activity differed significantly between the experimental and control group at baseline, 53.9±26.8 METS and 86.0±41.9 METS, respectively (p<0.05). In the Fish oil group, prothrombin time increased for BTA vs. BTO, 0.18±0.29 seconds vs -0.11±0.31 seconds respectively (p<0.10indicating a statistical trend). There were no other differences between groups for the other outcome variables.
Conclusion. Fish oil supplementation prolonged clotting time in BTA adults and may be a useful strategy in this population for reducing cardiovascular disease risk. More research is needed to verify and expand these results.
ContributorsRyder, Ashley Brooke (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Lespron, Christy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Many individuals are not following healthy lifestyles as evidenced by the high obesity rates and poor physical activity levels. Many do not know how to eat healthy and exercise effectively, especially given busy schedules and no time to cook or go to the gym. However, people do spend a significant amount of time on their mobile device using social media. This outlet can potentially be used to inspire and teach individuals how to cook healthy simple meals, or find motivation to get off the couch for some exercise. In this study, strategies were identified that would increase the comments, likes, and followers of the investigator's Instagrams, which were designed to motivate followers to live a healthier lifestyle. Initially, 462 posts were assessed retrospectively to determine how the number of likes and comments were influenced by hashtags, category of posts (nutrition, fitness, or inspiration), and/or type of app, PicPlayPost, Instaframe, and the updated Instagram. These results were used in a 1-month prospective study to increase likes and followers to the investigator's Instagrams. In the retrospective study, it was determined that hashtags influenced the number of comments and likes across the categories and that the PicPlayPost app increased the likes in all categories. Hence, for the prospective study, the investigator wrote 1 nutrition and 1 fitness post daily for 28 days using a minimum of 15 hashtags per post. In addition, 3 nutrition posts and 3 fitness posts per week used the PicPlayPost app. This posting strategy increased the number of likes per post by 100%, and the number of followers increased from 369 to 1082 in one month. Interestingly, the nutrition posts received 27% more likes than the fitness posts, and the PicPlayPost app increased comments by 134%. In conclusion, the use of hashtags, PicPlayPost, and Instaframe apps increased the likes and comments on social media. These strategies may increase audience's attention on a certain topic and be used to improve individuals' lifestyles.
ContributorsTomasso, Bernice Grace (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Dixon, Kathy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Turmeric is the bright yellow root that has been used as a spice, healing remedy, and textile dye. Previous studies have suggested that the most active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, could reduce serum cholesterol concentration. However, most of these studies were conducted on animals and not many have been done on controlled human trials. This randomized, double-blinded, controlled crossover study evaluates the effects of turmeric on blood cholesterol concentrations including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HLD cholesterol, and triglycerides. In this study, eight healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 45 were randomized to receive either 500mg capsules of turmeric or placebo for a period of three weeks. Following a wash-out period of five weeks, all participants were crossed over to the alternative treatment for another three weeks. After comparing the 3 week treatment and placebo phases, turmeric showed no significant effect on serum lipid concentrations. Furthermore, a slight increase in total cholesterol concentrations was observed following the turmeric phase when compared to the placebo phase.
ContributorsDo, Ngoc Bich Thi (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Whisner, Corrie (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
There are many studies on vitamin B6 (pyrodoxine) or tryptophan (Trp) as a way to increase mood but there are little to no studies with these two nutrients supplemented together. Trp is the precursor to serotonin that requires the cofactor pyridoxal phosphate (PLP). Serotonin plays a role in mood, sleep, appetite, and other wellbeing aspects and it is believed that low levels of serotonin is associated with the risk of developing depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders. The amount of free Trp that can pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is influenced by factors such as cortisol, insulin, and competition from branch chain amino acids (BCAA). College students who exercise on a regular basis and participate in club sports may experience higher cortisol levels from stress of college and higher physical activity. Cortisol decreases the Trp levels in the plasma while BCAAs compete with Trp to pass through the BBB. Insulin promotes the passage of free Trp through the BBB. In the present study, 28 healthy active college students (21.0 ± 2.1 years, 24.5± 3.1 kg/m2) were divided into three groups: vitamin B6 (n=11), Trp (n=10), or both (n=10) (2 did not complete study). Blood serum pyridoxine levels and mood states were measured at baseline and at 4 weeks with Profile of Mood States (POMS), Depression Anxiety Stress Survey (DASS), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and Epworth sleep scale. In the combined sample, the total POMS score improved during the study (p=0.039) and the total DASS score tended to improve during the study (p=0.068). Thus, mean depression scores for all participants decreased during the 4-week supplementation study. However, there were no time x treatment effects noted at study completion. At baseline 18% of the participants were marginally deficient in vitamin B6 (serum pyridoxine <30nmol/L), and their total POMS score was raised 78% in comparison to participants with adequate vitamin B6 status (p=0.08). DASS scores were raised 48% in vitamin B6 deficient participants versus those with adequate vitamin B6 status (p=0.243). There were no significant changes (time or time x treatment) during the course of the study for the LOT-R or sleep scores. In summary, vitamin B6 deficiency in college student athletes was remarkably high (18%) compared to the national average reported by the CDC in 2012 (10.5%), and participants with vitamin B6 deficiency displayed heightened unfavorable mood states. Moreover, supplementation with vitamin B6, tryptophan, or vitamin B6 and tryptophan improved mood state in college student athletes, but there were no differences between treatments.
ContributorsNaumann, Adelaide (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Levinson, Simin (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Turmeric, scientifically known as Curcuma longa, is a tropical plant that is most often consumed in India.1 The rhizome of the plant is dried and then ground into a fine, vibrant yellow powder. In addition to its function as a spice, turmeric is also used in traditional Ayervedic medicine due to its unique medical properties. These unique properties are attributed to the three major constituents of turmeric: curcumin, α-isocurcumin, and β-isocurcumin.2 Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane; C21H20O6), makes up 5% of turmeric by weight, and is the most prominent active ingredient within the turmeric root. Perhaps the most intriguing characteristic about curcumin is its ability to modulate targets such as, but not limited to, transcription factors, enzymes, apoptosis genes, and growth factors.1 Modern medical research has determined curcumin to be a viable treatment and prevention method for disease such as type II diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, liver cirrhosis, and certain cancers. However, research on turmeric’s effects on gastrointestinal health is significantly lacking. This randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial looked to see if supplemental turmeric (500 mg as dried root powder) would significantly raise breath hydrogen emission (BHE) and reduce small bowel transit time (SBTT) in 8 female adults who were suffering from chronic constipation. Although supplemental turmeric did not significantly impact BHE or SBTT, the number of bowel movements greatly increased during turmeric intervention.
ContributorsUgarte, Noel (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Whisner, Corrie (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
This paper begins by exploring the prior research that has shown how eating a plant-based diet can affect the human body. Some of these effects include: improved mood, energy levels, gut health, alkalized urine pH, as well as, lowering the risk of hormonal imbalance, kidney stones, diabetes, cancer, and coronary artery disease. The worries that generally accompany eating a fully vegan diet, which include, malnutrition and protein deficiency, are also addressed in the background research. In attempt to build upon previous research, a weeklong experiment was conducted testing 3 different factors, which include: gut health, improved mood, and urine pH. Mood states were measured quantifiably using a POMS (profile of mood states) test. Gut health was measured using several factors, including consistency and frequency of bowel movements, as well as, GI discomfort. Two 24-hour urine samples were collected from each of the subjects to compare the pH of their urine before and after the study. The sample size of this study included 15 healthy, non-smoking, subjects, between 18-30 years of age. The subjects were split up into 3 stratified random samples, including, an omnivore control group, vegan control group, and experimental vegan group. The experimental vegans had eaten meat/eggs/dairy regularly for their whole lives before the start of the study, and had consented to eating a vegan diet for the entirety of one week. While the data from the control groups remained mostly constant as predicted, the results from the experimental group were shown to have a significantly better mood (P<0.05) after one week, as well as, a significantly higher urine pH (P < 0.025) than they did before the study. However, the experimental group did not show a significant change in stool frequency, consistency, or GI discomfort within one week. The vegan control group, which included subjects who had eaten a plant-based diet for 1-3 years, had much better gut health scores. This leads us to believe that the vegan gut microbiome takes much longer to transform into than just one week unlike urine pH and mood, which can take as little as one week. These findings warrant further investigation.
ContributorsMacias, Lindsey Kaori (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Katsanos, Christos (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
A recent meta-analysis concluded that vinegar consumption could be considered effective adjunct therapy for improving glycemic control. Glycemic control strategies are useful for diabetic and pre-diabetic patients as a way of managing the symptoms of disease. However, liquid vinegar consumption is often poorly tolerated and ingestion can invoke nausea. This pilot study examined the effect of liquid vinegar versus commercial vinegar pills on postprandial glycemia in 12 healthy adults. All participants were healthy with fasting blood glucose averaging 91mg/dl. This study examined the efficacy of liquid vinegar ingestion (25 g apple cider vinegar [1.25 g acetic acid]) versus vinegar pill ingestion (4 vinegar tablets [1.5 g acetic acid] either consumed whole or crushed and then dissolved in water) on postprandial glycemia. At 30 minutes following a standard test meal (bagel + jelly + juice; 106 g carbohydrate), blood glucose concentrations were reduced 12% in comparison to the pill groups or to a no vinegar control (135.6±15.8, 154.3±22.2, 152.7±30.6, and 157.7±22.8 mg/dl for the liquid vinegar, whole pill, crushed pill, and control groups respectively; p=0.023). These data suggest that in healthy adults, four commercial vinegar pills with a reported acetic acid content of 1.5 g acetic acid are not effective for improving glycemic control.
ContributorsFeise, Natasha Kristine (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Kingsbury, Jeffrey (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05