Theses and dissertations

This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students. 

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Genistein's Impact on Inflammation and the Gut Microbiome

Description
Genistein, a compound found in soy that functions as a phytoestrogen, has been found to play a role in the body’s inflammatory response. By suppressing the expression of inflammatory genes and inhibiting tumor cell growth, genistein is thought to have both anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting properties. This study seeks to…

Genistein, a compound found in soy that functions as a phytoestrogen, has been found to play a role in the body’s inflammatory response. By suppressing the expression of inflammatory genes and inhibiting tumor cell growth, genistein is thought to have both anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting properties. This study seeks to demonstrate genistein’s potential to mitigate the negative consequences of consuming a high fat diet specifically as it relates to increased inflammation and changes in the gut microbiome. Using an animal model, the study tested whether supplementing the mice’s diet with soy derived genistein would affect their serum IL-6 levels and the way in which their gut microbiomes responded to their high fat consumption. It was presumed that genistein supplementation would result in a less significant shift from the biomarkers tested in the control group and reduce the impact of the high fat diet. It was also hypothesized that consumption of the high fat diet would raise IL-6 levels and increase the presence of harmful bacteria in the test subjects.
ContributorsPettit, Gabrielle Sofia (Author) / Whisner, Dr. Corrie (Thesis director) / Al-Nakkash, Dr. Layla (Committee member) / Ortega Santos, Carmen (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Ethnic Discrimination, Socioeconomic Status, and Health in India

Description

Significant health inequalities exist between different castes and ethnic communities in India, and identifying the roots of these inequalities is of interest to public health research and policy. Research on caste-based health inequalities in India has historically focused on general, government-defined categories, such as “Scheduled Castes,” “Scheduled Tribes,” and “Other…

Significant health inequalities exist between different castes and ethnic communities in India, and identifying the roots of these inequalities is of interest to public health research and policy. Research on caste-based health inequalities in India has historically focused on general, government-defined categories, such as “Scheduled Castes,” “Scheduled Tribes,” and “Other Backward Classes.” This method obscures the diversity of experiences, indicators of well-being, and health outcomes between castes, tribes, and other communities in the “scheduled” category. This study analyzes data on 699,686 women from 4,260 castes, tribes and communities in the 2015-2016 Demographic and Health Survey of India to: (1) examine the diversity within and overlap between general, government-defined community categories in both wealth, infant mortality, and education, and (2) analyze how infant mortality is related to community category membership and socioeconomic status (measured using highest level of education and household wealth). While there are significant differences between general, government-defined community categories (e.g., scheduled caste, backward class) in both wealth and infant mortality, the vast majority of variation between communities occurs within these categories. Moreover, when other socioeconomic factors like wealth and education are taken into account, the difference between general, government-defined categories reduces or disappears. These findings suggest that focusing on measures of education and wealth at the household level, rather than general caste categories, may more accurately target those individuals and households most at risk for poor health outcomes. Further research is needed to explain the mechanisms by which discrimination affects health in these populations, and to identify sources of resilience, which may inform more effective policies.
ContributorsClauss, Colleen (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Davis, Mary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2022-05