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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Description
Breast and other solid tumors exhibit high and varying degrees of intra-tumor heterogeneity resulting in targeted therapy resistance and other challenges that make the management and treatment of these diseases rather difficult. Due to the presence of admixtures of non-neoplastic cells with polyclonal cell populations, it is difficult to define cancer genomes in patient samples. By isolating tumor cells from normal cells, and enriching distinct clonal populations, clinically relevant genomic aberrations that drive disease can be identified in patients in vivo. An in-depth analysis of clonal architecture and tumor heterogeneity was performed in a stage II chemoradiation-naïve breast cancer from a sixty-five year old patient. DAPI-based DNA content measurements and DNA content-based flow sorting was used to to isolate nuclei from distinct clonal populations of diploid and aneuploid tumor cells in surgical tumor samples. We combined DNA content-based flow cytometry and ploidy analysis with high-definition array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and next-generation sequencing technologies to interrogate the genomes of multiple biopsies from the breast cancer. The detailed profiles of ploidy, copy number aberrations and mutations were used to recreate and map the lineages present within the tumor. The clonal analysis revealed driver events for tumor progression (a heterozygous germline BRCA2 mutation converted to homozygosity within the tumor by a copy number event and the constitutive activation of Notch and Akt signaling pathways. The highlighted approach has broad implications in the study of tumor heterogeneity by providing a unique ultra-high resolution of polyclonal tumors that can advance effective therapies and clinical management of patients with this disease.
ContributorsLaughlin, Brady Scott (Author) / Ankeny, Casey (Thesis director) / Barrett, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Considering the overwhelming prevalence of BPH, how can it best be managed in light of the aging population? The purpose of this investigation is to illustrate that BPH and LUTS are conditions that are highly conducive to health literacy technology interventions. This objective will be met by: a) Providing an overview of the clinically relevant information regarding BPH, including anatomy, physiology, epidemiology, symptoms, and medical treatment for the disease; b) Establishing the necessity for novel health care delivery solutions by identifying past successes and challenges associated with technologic advances in related fields; c) Providing evidence of a lack of a systematic approach to BPH education, especially as it relates to health literacy. The relative successes and failures of previously established clinical decision aids will be discussed, leading to recommendations on how to improve upon these standards. Finally, the procedures and results of a pilot study will be analyzed in an effort to further highlight the necessity of engaging patients in the clinical decision making process.
ContributorsMelikian, Robert Jeffrey (Author) / Santanam, Raghu (Thesis director) / Humphreys, Mitchell (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Ruptures in the anterior cruciate ligament are a prevalent injury, particularly in young athletes. This injury is frequently treated with surgical repair utilizing autologous tissue, cadaver allografts or synthetic grafts. However there is no definitive answer on which is the best graft option. This review aims to compare clinical results of patellar tendon autograft (PT), hamstring autograft (HT), cadaver allograft and LARS synthetic ligament in ACL reconstruction. The ASU library was systematically searched for comparison studies or meta-analyses that compared or described ACL reconstruction graft options. The results of the studies were analyzed according to re-tear rate, return to pre-injury level of activity, KT-1000 laxity scores, post-operative muscle strength, International Knee Documentation Committee Score (IKDC), Lysholm score, Lachman test and donor site morbidity. Allografts showed the highest re-tear rate and increase in laxity when compared with the PT autograft and HT autograft. PT autograft provided the most stability according to the KT-1000 results. Knee extensor muscle strength was not graft dependent, but knee flexor strength decreased significantly in HT autograft patients. All grafts showed comparable results for IKDC, Lysholm scores and Lachman tests. There was increased anterior knee pain in PT autograft patients however this did not seem to have an affect on the stability or durability of the graft. The PT autograft is the best choice for individuals undergoing ACL reconstruction on the basis of lower re-tear rates and greater joint stability.
ContributorsNormen, Eliza Armstrong (Author) / Broman, Tannah (Thesis director) / Harper, Erin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The transition from high school to college is, for many, a drastic change in lifestyle, social networks, and dietary choices. The prevalence of obesity in college students has been steadily increasing. Freshmen weight gains have been associated with a decrease in fruits and vegetables and an increase in unhealthy items such as desserts, alcohol, and late night snacking after dinner. A survey of college students was constructed to gauge students' perceptions of nutrition how these perceptions influenced dietary practices and behaviors. Survey results indicated that awareness of nutrition and health does not translate to dietary practices, aligning with results from previous studies. Several sex differences were noted in regards to dietary choices and perceptions, knowledge seeking behavior, and sources of information. While there were some similarities, it is clear from the results obtained that men and women have different approaches and thoughts with regard to nutrition. The results showed that college students who actively seek our nutritional information are more likely to do so in the form of social media or Internet sources. This study could be useful for those planning on conducting college-based nutritional programs in that the results indicate patterns and trends that should be taken into consideration in order for a successful nutrition intervention
ContributorsKeahon, Gabriela Estrada (Author) / Jehn, Megan (Thesis director) / Williams, Deborah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This thesis discusses the experiences of starting and building a support group for teenagers who have a loved one with Parkinson's Disease. One of the goals of this thesis was to share our experiences with the staff at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Center, and the teenagers who will be taking over this group in the future. We discuss why we wanted to start the group, how it's foundation was built, and the challenges we faced and overcame. This is done by highlighting three significant group meetings, and various implications. Transportation, funding, and other issues are discussed.
ContributorsVilla, Roberto (Co-author) / Kisana, Haroon (Co-author) / Montesano, Mark (Thesis director) / Abbaszadegan, Hamed (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2015-05