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 Life Sciences
Description
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is the biological mechanism in which the same gene can have multiple 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) isoforms due to the presence of multiple polyadenylation signal (PAS) elements within the pre mRNAs. Because APA produces mRNA transcripts that have different 3'UTR isoforms, certain transcripts may be subject to post-transcriptional regulation by regulatory non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs or RNA binding proteins defects of which have been implicated in diseases such as cancer. Despite the increasing level of information, functional understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in transcription is still poorly understood, nor is it clear why APA is necessary at a cell or tissue-specific level. To address these questions I wanted to develop a set of sensor strain plasmids capable of detecting cleavage and polyadenylation in vivo, inject the complete sensor strain plasmid into C. elegans and prepare stable transgenic lines, and perform proof-of-principle RNAi feeding experiments targeting genes associated with the cleavage and polyadenylation complex machinery. I demonstrated that it was possible to create a plasmid capable of detecting cleavage and polyadenylation in C. elegans; however, issues arose during the RNAi assays indicating the sensor strain plasmid was not sensitive enough to the RNAi to effectively detect in the worms. Once the problems involved with sensitivity and variability in the RNAi effects are resolved, the plasmid would be able to better address questions regarding the functional understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in transcription termination.
ContributorsWilky, Henry Patrick (Author) / Mangone, Marco (Thesis director) / Newbern, Jason (Committee member) / Blazie, Stephen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Tools that accurately assess physical activity and sedentary behaviors have broad implications relative to understanding the association of adverse health outcomes and these behaviors. Given the ease of distribution and inexpensive nature of self-report tools, they are the most widely used means to assess human behavior in large-scale populations. The purpose of this study was to validate the ACT24 online self-report recall for measures of sedentary and active behavior against criterion measure. Participants of a larger study were asked to complete the ACT24 recall on a random day in three different weeks during which they were wearing the criterion device. A total of 16 recalls were completed that were used to assess ACT24 measures of sedentary, active, and MVPA behavior. Four different comparisons afforded this analysis: criterion sitting time to ACT24 sedentary time, criterion standing time to ACT24 active behavior, criterion stepping time to ACT24 active behavior, and criterion stepping of 3.0+METs to ACT24 MVPA. Results for the comparisons made between ACT24 sedentary time versus criterion sitting time and ACT24 active time to criterion active time showed little systematic differences at the group level, but the limits of agreement were relatively wide. The comparisons made between ACT24 active time to criterion stepping time and ACT24 MVPA to criterion stepping time at 3.0+ METs both showed a positive systematic difference. Increased incidence of physical activity was correlated with more difference between the measures, likely due to an underestimation of criterion active time measurement. These results are important in the preliminary validity analysis of ACT24 measures of active and sedentary time. Future directions include implementing validation protocols in larger and more diverse samples.
ContributorsBrinkman, Joseph Connor (Author) / Buman, Matthew P. (Thesis director) / Hekler, Eric (Committee member) / Matthews, Charles E. (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This paper explores the relationship between wildfire management and the consideration of ecological and environmental concerns in Arizona. To get a proper perspective on the current state of wildfire management in Arizona, information on two wildfire management programs, the Four Forests Restoration Initiative and FireScape, was researched and analyzed, as well as contemporary fire policy, a history of wildfire in Arizona, and two recent fires in Sedona, AZ. The two fires in Sedona, the Brins Fire of 2006 and the Slide Fire of 2014, act as a focal point for this ecological management transition, as even within an 8-year period, we can see the different ways the two fires were managed and the transition to a greater ecological importance in management strategies. These all came together to give a full spectrum for the factors that have led to more ecologically-prominent wildfire management strategies in Arizona.
ContributorsGeorge-Sills, Dylan (Author) / Pyne, Stephen (Thesis director) / Hirt, Paul (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The giant green sea anemone, Anthopleura xanthogrammica, hosts two different endosymbiotic algae. One is a unicellular chlorophyte, Elliptochloris marina; the other is Symbiodinium muscatinei, a dinoflagellate. Hosting these different symbionts influences the life history strategy of A. xanthogrammica's congener A. elegantissima, directly impacting its reproductive strategy (asexual vs. sexual). My study sought to examine whether the type and density of symbiont also affects the reproductive condition of A. xanthogrammica, which reproduces only sexually. Gonad development was measured in anemones from Slip Point, Clallam Bay, WA and Tongue Point, WA along with symbiont type and density per mg of anemone protein. The results indicate a trend towards brown anemones having more developed gonads, especially in males. This may mean that A. xanthogrammica anemones that host zooxanthellae are more reproductively fit than zoochlorellate anemones. Thus, it may be favorable for anemones to host zooxanthellae. This is especially true in summer months when the high temperatures and mid-day low tides coincide with the period of most rapid gonad development.
ContributorsGasbarro, Ryan Patrick (Author) / Neuer, Susanne (Thesis director) / Rutowski, Ronald (Committee member) / Bingham, Brian (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The transition from high school to college is associated with considerable life strain for adolescents, including higher reported levels of daily stress and negative affect (NA), and alterations in stress physiology have been linked to poor health. The purpose of this thesis was to use an ecological momentary assessment design to study associations between momentary experiences of negative affect and cortisol levels in a sample of adolescents transitioning to college. I also examined the potential moderating effects of two potential vulnerability or protective factors, alone status and perceived social support from friends. Adolescents provided salivary samples and completed paper-and-pencil diary reports of socioemotional experiences and alone status five times per day for three consecutive weekdays, as well as completed self-report questionnaires on perceived social support from friends. Within-person increases in momentary negative affect were associated with momentary cortisol reactivity. Alone status significantly moderated this association such that the association between momentary negative affect and momentary cortisol levels was only significant when individuals were with others and not when they were alone. Perceived social support from friends did not significantly moderate the within-person associations between negative affect and momentary cortisol levels. The findings add to our understanding of physiological correlates of socioemotional experiences, as well as contexts in which these associations may be exaggerated or attenuated. The findings inform our understanding of potential pathways by which physiological reactivity to socioemotional experiences may affect the health of adolescents as well as how prevention efforts could reduce potential poor health outcomes associated with heightened stress reactivity.
ContributorsKomarnisky, Sydney-Paige Milan (Author) / Doane, Leah (Thesis director) / Knight, George (Committee member) / Luecken, Linda (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Microarthropods play important roles in the decomposition process of the detrital food web, where they break down organic matter and return nutrients to the soil. However, only a small percentage of the belowground microarthropod population has been studied or even discovered, leading to a decrease in the knowledge of all of the processes carried out by these organisms and their importance to the soil. This is because microarthropod extraction methods are not 100% effective at collecting specimens. This study aimed to find an ideal quantitative procedure to better record the number of microarthropods existing in the soil and to determine if a seasonal variation exists that effects the success of extraction. Two extraction methods, including dynamic extraction and heptane flotation extraction, were compared across two seasons, a dry season (June) and a wet season (September). Average biomasses and average richness were calculated for four different functional groups, including Prostigmata, Mesostigmata, Cryptostigmata, and Collembola, across the two seasons, and statistical analysis was performed to determine if any differences that existed were statistically significant. Results indicate that the dynamic extraction method was significantly more effective for the collection of microarthropods during the wet season, and the heptane extraction method was significantly more effective during the dry season. In addition, the heptane procedure recovered samples of higher average richness than the dynamic method during both seasons. The heptane procedure works best for extraction during the dry season because it is able to collect organisms that entered into an ametabolic anhydrobiotic state to escape desiccation. These organisms form a protective lipid layer around their exoskeletons to retain water, and the non-polar exoskeletons display a chemical affinity to the heptane fluid, allowing for collection out of the soil and into the heptane layer. Despite these results, no one method is entirely superior to the other, and the most efficacious procedure depends on the researcher's aim of study.
ContributorsAntol, Rachel Lynn (Author) / Sabo, John L. (Thesis director) / Hall, Sharon (Committee member) / Wyant, Karl A. (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Influenza has shown its potential to affect and even kill millions of people within an extremely short time frame, yet studies and surveys show that the general public is not well educated about the facts about influenza, including prevention and treatment. For this reason, public perception of influenza is extremely skewed, with people generally not taking the disease as seriously as they should given its severity. To investigate the inconsistencies between action and awareness of best available knowledge regarding influenza, this study conducted literature review and a survey of university students about their knowledge, perceptions, and action taken in relationship to influenza. Due to their dense living quarters, constant daily interactions, and mindset that they are "immune" to fairly common diseases like influenza, university students are a representative sample of urban populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 54% of the world's population lived in cities as of 2014 (Urban population growth). Between 2015 and 2020, the global urban population is expected to grow 1.84% per year, 1.63% between 2020 and 2025, and 1.44% between 2025 and 2030 (Urban population growth). Similar projections estimate that by 2017, an overwhelming majority of the world's population, even in less developed countries, will be living in cities (Urban population growth). Results of this study suggest possible reasons for the large gap between best available knowledge and the perceptions and actions of individuals on the other hand. This may lead to better-oriented influenza education initiatives, more effective prevention and treatment plans, and generally raise excitement and awareness surrounding public health and scientific communication.
ContributorsGur-Arie, Rachel Ellen Haviva (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Laubichler, Manfred (Committee member) / Creath, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-12
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
The client detailed in this report is a premier continuing healthcare education organization providing a variety of homeopathic therapy classes for its students. The purpose of this paper is to showcase a business plan that will help dictate the basic structure of the client's business once they are independent of their current managing company. Extensive analysis, primarily based upon online market research and personal correspondence with the client, was conducted for this report. Detailed within this paper are several areas where the client can significantly lower costs and increase future revenues by modifying practices employed by the managing company. From the analysis provided, the client has the opportunity to create and grow a well-organized, profitable business with a sustainable future.
ContributorsMionis, Erika (Co-author) / Lee, Betty (Co-author) / Coult, Natasha (Co-author) / Brooks, Dan (Thesis director) / Chikly, Bruno (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Although the number of women earning college degrees and entering the workforce is increasing, a gender gap persists at top leadership positions. Women are faced with numerous challenges throughout the talent pipeline, challenges that often drive women out of the workforce. This paper looks at the power of mentoring and how women, particularly young women, have the potential to overcome these challenges through a successful mentoring relationship. We use examples of successful mentoring programs at the corporate and university level to support the development of a mentoring program at the high school level. Our paper presents the research and development process behind the Young Women in Leadership (YWiL) Workshop, a half-day event that focused on bringing awareness to the importance of mentoring and leadership at the high school level while providing young women with the confidence and knowledge to begin to establish their own mentoring relationships.
ContributorsRust, Brenna (Co-author) / Myers, Sheridan (Co-author) / Desch, Tim (Thesis director) / Kalika, Dale (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2015-05