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This research analyzes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/ questioning (LGBTQ) students’ experiences with sex education in Arizona. This research is a grey literature review of Arizona’s previous state policies, current state sex education curricula law, and legislative proposals within the past few years. Analysis focuses on changes after the

This research analyzes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/ questioning (LGBTQ) students’ experiences with sex education in Arizona. This research is a grey literature review of Arizona’s previous state policies, current state sex education curricula law, and legislative proposals within the past few years. Analysis focuses on changes after the repeal of the “no promo homo” law in 2019. Through defining the differences between abstinence only and comprehensive sex education (CSE), this will provide a framework to better understand approaches to sex education. As of now, Arizona stresses abstinence-based education. Delving into LGBTQ students’ general experiences in schools provides a foundation to better understand why these students especially benefit from CSE. Since LGBTQ students are disproportionately affected by bullying and are at increased sexual health risks, it is important to address misperceptions surrounding the LGBTQ community. The purpose of this research is to push for more LGBTQ inclusive sex education curricula in Arizona.

ContributorsHo, Jacklyn (Author) / Glegziabher, Meskerem (Thesis director) / Ruth, Alissa (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI), affecting over 267 million women worldwide. HSV-2 causes a chronic, latent infection that increases the risk for acquisition with other STI, including HIV. Currently, there is no vaccine against HSV-2 and novel anti-viral treatments are

Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI), affecting over 267 million women worldwide. HSV-2 causes a chronic, latent infection that increases the risk for acquisition with other STI, including HIV. Currently, there is no vaccine against HSV-2 and novel anti-viral treatments are needed. IL-36γ is a newly characterized cytokine that has been shown to play a role in inflammation and be upregulated in response to microbial infection and tissue damage. We have shown that IL-36γ is expressed in the female reproductive tract (FRT) and is upregulated by HSV-2 infection in vitro and in vivo. IL-36γ in turn induces production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in human vaginal epithelial cells (VEC) that can aid in immune cell recruitment. We hypothesize that IL-36γ is a key regulator of mucosal inflammation in the FRT and functions to limit HSV-2 infection. We have demonstrated that IL-36γ treatment prior to infection protects against HSV-2 replication, disease severity, and promotes survival in a lethal mouse model. Thus, the objective of this study is to understand the mechanisms whereby IL-36γ inhibits HSV-2 replication. To understand the impact of IL-36γ on the HSV-2 lifecycle, we pretreated VEC with IL-36γ and evaluated viral titer during virus attachment and entry, replication, and cell-to-cell spread by plaque assay. Pretreatment with IL-36γ 4h prior to infection did not significantly reduce viral titers in VEC monolayers relative to untreated groups. This suggesting that IL-36γ may play a more significant role in immune cell recruitment during HSV-2 infection. To test this, FRT tissue samples from HSV-2 infected IL-36γ -/- and WT mice were analyzed by histochemistry to characterize immune cell recruitment. No clear pattern was determined for tissue samples in which cell clusters were observed and cell type within recruited clusters was unable to be identified at the current magnification. As these projects continue, the data will aid in elucidating the mechanism and level to which IL-36γ impacts HSV-2 infection in human VEC and FRT models.
ContributorsAlexander, Thessaly E (Author) / Herbst-Kralovetz, Melissa (Thesis director) / Capco, David (Committee member) / Hogue, Ian (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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The primary goal of this paper is to analyze a tool used for measuring human
development on a global scale. Originally, development within a country was solely judged by the degree of economic growth by way of Gross National Product (GNP) and per capita income. Holistically, GNP measures the total extent

The primary goal of this paper is to analyze a tool used for measuring human
development on a global scale. Originally, development within a country was solely judged by the degree of economic growth by way of Gross National Product (GNP) and per capita income. Holistically, GNP measures the total extent of economic activity of a country’s people within a given time period. (Rutherford, 2012). Critics found several issues with this one-dimensional approach of measuring human development. What failed to be recognized was the distribution of income among the country’s citizens. Higher incomes often favor men within the majority when compared to women and people of minority groups (Feiner & Roberts, 1990). GNP also failed to recognize the social limitations under a government. In other words, are there limitations as to what goods can be bought and who can buy them?
ContributorsSteeley, Emily Anne (Author) / Parmentier, Mary Jane (Thesis director) / Grgich, Traci (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Thousands of human lives are lost every day due to chronic diseases, some more preventable than others. For years, the gold standard for diagnosing and monitoring these diseases has been through traditional methods such as individualized doctor-patient clinical evaluations, usually involving laboratory tests. These methods, though effective, can be costly,

Thousands of human lives are lost every day due to chronic diseases, some more preventable than others. For years, the gold standard for diagnosing and monitoring these diseases has been through traditional methods such as individualized doctor-patient clinical evaluations, usually involving laboratory tests. These methods, though effective, can be costly, time-consuming, and fail to encompass an overarching perspective of the health profile of the larger population. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has successfully been employed for decades as a population-level data source informing on the consumption of licit and illicit substance use. It also is showing promise for its use as a community-wide diagnostic tool for broader public health measurements. This literature review constitutes a theoretical evaluation of the potential use of WBE for monitoring the top two deadly diseases in the United States; cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Literature-reported metabolites indicative of these diseases were evaluated to determine if they were capable of being identified and monitored in wastewater. Potential analytes include cardiac-specific troponin, α-fenotroin, and inositol. Results obtained within suggest WBE could be used as a viable and economical tool to track and monitor the top deadly diseases in human populations. This methodology could be implemented in tandem with current practices in order to provide a more holistic understanding of prevalence and risk for CVD and cancer.
ContributorsAmin, Vivek (Author) / Halden, Rolf (Thesis director) / Niebuhr, Robert (Committee member) / Bowes, Devin (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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As of March 2020, there were over 112,400 patients actively waiting on the United States national organ transplant waitlist with only about 3,300 donors1. Although transplantation is an effective treatment for end-stage organ failure, the access to a procedure will vary depending on national regulations, cost of health care, extensive

As of March 2020, there were over 112,400 patients actively waiting on the United States national organ transplant waitlist with only about 3,300 donors1. Although transplantation is an effective treatment for end-stage organ failure, the access to a procedure will vary depending on national regulations, cost of health care, extensive screening processes, and the availability of organs2. Organ shortage is a worldwide problem, and the growing insufficiency has resulted patients becoming too for ill or dying while waiting3. Due to the varying wait times and costs of procedures, some patients have begun to outsource their own transplantation through international transactions, also known as transplant tourism2. The 2004 World Health Assembly resolution recognized these trades as a significant health policy issue, while also acknowledging the inability of national health care systems to meet the needs of patients4. To address this issue, a proposal will be made such that all live kidney and liver donors will be compensated $22,500 and $12,150 respectively through a cost-neutral scheme based on annual healthcare expenditures per organ that would be eliminated by a transplant. With this proposal, it is suggested that the organ transplant waitlist would not only be significantly reduced, but potentially eliminated, and the crisis of organ shortage would be defeated.
ContributorsMartin, Starla (Author) / Kingsbury, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Edmonds, Hallie (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Ecological modeling can be used to analyze health risk behaviors and their relationship to ecological factors, which is useful in determining how social environmental factors influence an individual’s decisions. Environmental interactions shape the way that humans behave throughout the day, either through observation, action, or consequences. Specifically, health risk behaviors

Ecological modeling can be used to analyze health risk behaviors and their relationship to ecological factors, which is useful in determining how social environmental factors influence an individual’s decisions. Environmental interactions shape the way that humans behave throughout the day, either through observation, action, or consequences. Specifically, health risk behaviors can be analyzed in relation to ecological factors. Alcohol drinking among college students has been a long concern and there are many risks associated with these behaviors in this population. Consistent engagement in health risk behaviors as a college student, such as drinking and smoking, can pose a much larger issues later in life and can lead to many different health problems. A research study was conducted in the form of a 27 question survey to determine and evaluate the impact of ecological factors on drinking and smoking behaviors among Arizona State University students. Ecological factors such as demographics, living conditions, contexts of social interactions, and places where students spend most of their time were used to evaluate the relationship between drinking and smoking behaviors and the ecological factors, both on- and off- campus. The sample size of this study is 541 students. Statistical tests were conducted using Excel and RStudio to find relationships between patterns of health risk behaviors and various ecological factors. The data from the survey was analyzed to address three main questions. The first question analyzed drinking behaviors in relation to demographics, specifically gender and race. The second question assessed drinking behaviors with participation in Greek life and clubs on campus. The third question evaluated the relationship between health risk behaviors and students’ living conditions, such as living on or off campus. The results show that while gender does not have a statistically significant influence on drinking behaviors, race does. White individuals are more likely to engage in drinking behaviors and are more at risk than non-whites. Participation in Greek life was shown to be statistically significant in determining health risk behaviors, while involvement in clubs was not. Finally, on campus students are less likely to engage in health risk behaviors than off-campus students.
ContributorsWerbick, Meghan Lindsay (Co-author) / Andrade, Amber (Co-author) / Naik, Sparshee (Co-author) / Mubayi, Anuj (Thesis director) / Gaughan, Monica (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor, Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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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
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This study uses a survey-based approach to study the perception of water quality and sanitation habits in Cusibamba and Totora, Peru. The survey covered important aspects such as how the water tastes, looks, smells, where it comes from, how it is purified (boiled or chlorinated), and if the respondent is

This study uses a survey-based approach to study the perception of water quality and sanitation habits in Cusibamba and Totora, Peru. The survey covered important aspects such as how the water tastes, looks, smells, where it comes from, how it is purified (boiled or chlorinated), and if the respondent is satisfied with their water. Participants reported that the water is of good quality overall and usually available (although scarcity may be an issue). They also reported good hygiene practices overall, and that they boil the water prior to using it for cooking, cleaning, or drinking. Educational information about ensuring water quality and sanitation would have been distributed in addition to in-person lessons on how to purify water if the COVID pandemic did not occur. These activities could not have been performed without risk to the communities and risk to those traveling to Peru.
ContributorsWriter, Carl (Author) / Lynch, John (Thesis director) / Huerta, Mark (Thesis director) / Cuya-Gavilano, Lorena (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05