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.
The purpose of this study is to collect baseline internal and external pressure data for the three most commonly used pelvic circumferential compression devices (PCCD). Unstable pelvic fractures as a result of automobile accidents, falls, and other traumatic injuries mortality rate [3]. Early use of pelvic circumferential compression devices can mitigate fatal outcomes [4]-[5]. Prolonged eternal pressure above 9.3kPa can result in long-term soft tissue damage and pressure ulcers [7]. This study hypothesizes that the application of the three most commonly used PCCDs would result in the same mean maximum point pressure exertion. To study this, internal and external, both analog and digital, pressure apparati were used to collect data. The results of this data collection demonstrate a discrepancy in the pressure distribution between right and left greater trochanters within each PCCD. Additionally, the results suggest there is an effect of internal packing on the pressure exertion externally at the two greater trochanters within each PCCD. Lastly, the differences in pressure exertion between each PCCD, internally and externally, were inconclusive as some compared metrics resulted in statistically significant results while others did not. The methodologies employed in this study can be improved through fixation of pressure collection instruments, utilization of digital pressure mats, and removal of confounding factors. The results of this study indicate that digitized, discrete data over a fixed time interval may be clinically useful, suggesting that a digital data collection would yield more reliable data. Additionally, internally mounted pressure sensor data will provide more precise results than the analog method employed herein, as well as provide insight towards bone reduction and displacement following the application of PCCDs. Finally, the information gathered from this study can be utilized to improve upon existing technologies to create a more innovative solution.
The purpose of this study is to collect baseline internal and external pressure data for the three most commonly used pelvic circumferential compression devices (PCCD). Unstable pelvic fractures as a result of automobile accidents, falls, and other traumatic injuries mortality rate [3]. Early use of pelvic circumferential compression devices can mitigate fatal outcomes [4]-[5]. Prolonged eternal pressure above 9.3kPa can result in long-term soft tissue damage and pressure ulcers [7]. This study hypothesizes that the application of the three most commonly used PCCDs would result in the same mean maximum point pressure exertion. To study this, internal and external, both analog and digital, pressure apparati were used to collect data. The results of this data collection demonstrate a discrepancy in the pressure distribution between right and left greater trochanters within each PCCD. Additionally, the results suggest there is an effect of internal packing on the pressure exertion externally at the two greater trochanters within each PCCD. Lastly, the differences in pressure exertion between each PCCD, internally and externally, were inconclusive as some compared metrics resulted in statistically significant results while others did not. The methodologies employed in this study can be improved through fixation of pressure collection instruments, utilization of digital pressure mats, and removal of confounding factors. The results of this study indicate that digitized, discrete data over a fixed time interval may be clinically useful, suggesting that a digital data collection would yield more reliable data. Additionally, internally mounted pressure sensor data will provide more precise results than the analog method employed herein, as well as provide insight towards bone reduction and displacement following the application of PCCDs. Finally, the information gathered from this study can be utilized to improve upon existing technologies to create a more innovative solution.
Carbohydrate counting has been shown to improve HbA1c levels for people with diabetes. However, the learning curve and inconvenience of carbohydrate counting make it difficult for patients to adhere to it. A deep learning model is proposed to identify food from an image, where it can help the user manage their carbohydrate counting. This early model has a 68.3% accuracy of identifying 101 different food classes. A more refined model in future work could be deployed into a mobile application to identify food the user is about to consume and log it for easier carbohydrate counting.
Lab-grown food products of animal cell origin, now becoming popularly coined as, ‘Cellular Agriculture’ is a revolutionary breakthrough technology that has the potential to penetrate the lives of every American or citizen of the world. It is important to recognize that the impetus for developing this technology is fueled by environmental concerns with climate change, rising geopolitical instability, and population growth projections, where farm-grown food has now become a growing national security issue. Notwithstanding its potential, in addition to the necessary technological innovation and economic scalability, the market success of cellular agriculture will depend greatly on regulatory oversight by multiple government agencies without which it can cause undue harm to individuals, populations, and the environment. Thus, it is critical for those appropriate United States governing bodies to ensure that the technology being developed is both safe and of an acceptable quality for human consumption and has no adverse environmental impact. As such, animal foods, derived from farms, previously regulated almost exclusively by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are now being regulated under a joint formal agreement between the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and the USDA if derived from the lab, i.e., lab-grown animal foods. The main reason for joint oversight between the FDA and the USDA is that the FDA has developed the in-house expertise to oversee primary cell harvesting and cell storage, as well as, cell growth and differentiation for the development of 3D-engineered tissues intended for tissue and organ replacement for the emerging field of regenerative medicine. As such, the FDA has been given the authority to oversee the ‘front end’ of lab-grown food processes which relies on the very same processes utilized in engineered human tissues to produce food-grade engineered tissues. Oversight then transitions to the USDA-FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) during the harvesting stage of the cell culture process. The USDA-FSIS then oversees the further production and labeling of these products. Included in the agreement is the understanding that both bodies are responsible for communicating necessary information to each other and collaboratively developing new regulatory actions as needed. However, there currently lacks clarity on some topics regarding certain legal, ethical, and scientific issues. Lab-grown meat products require more extensive regulation than farm-grown animal food products to ensure that they are safe and nutritious for consumption. To do this, CFSAN can create new classes of lab-grown foods, such as ‘lab-grown USDA foods,’ ‘lab-grown non-USDA foods,’ ‘lab-grown extinct foods,’ ‘lab-grown human food tissues,’ and ‘medically activated lab-grown foods.’
This study synthesizes information found from extensive research and provides a review of the most optimal techniques for developing an alternative to systemic antibiotics. The final deliverable is a report detailing the significant findings and discussing the ways that this solution may be developed further and implemented in a clinical setting. The solution is a hydrogel bandage designed to deliver antibiotics directly to the wound site, while also offering protection and enhanced wound healing. The target population is patients suffering from skin conditions in an outpatient setting. The antibiotics of interest for this solution are clindamycin, doxycycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole), as they offer excellent treatment against gram-positive bacteria and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. However, other broad-spectrum antibiotics could potentially be incorporated to protect against gram-negative bacteria. The design features a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel that has shown many properties that are beneficial to biomedical applications, including biocompatibility, flexibility, high drug-loading capacity, high absorption of wound exudate, increased promotion of wound healing, and more. Preliminary mathematical models of the hydrogel’s drug delivery behaviors are also included. Due to the scope and timeframe of this project, the majority of findings herein are based on research of prior literature instead of development of the novel device. Future directions would include further research and development of the mechanisms behind the device, creation of a physical prototype, experimental testing, and statistical analyses to verify device specifications and capabilities.