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- All Subjects: Immunology
- All Subjects: Creative Project
- Creators: School of Life Sciences
Description
Perhaps the most compelling thing about any one human being is their story. There are stories that get shouted through media, thus reinforcing their social value. There are also stores that go systematically untold, diminishing or erasing the social value of those they represent. My creative project, The People Project, seeks to give incarcerated writers a platform (albeit small) on which to share and develop their stories (through submissions to Iron City Magazine), and to share my own story of teaching within the prison walls. The People Project is a collection of short essays that seeks to explore the personhood that exists underneath the mandated orange outfits, and ultimately seeks to prompt discussion about the incarceration system as a whole.
ContributorsKilian, Kylie Michelle (Author) / Wells, Cornelia (Thesis director) / Berry, Shavawn (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Human nature drives us to focus primarily on the present or near-future, instead of considering what consequences our actions may have many years from now. However, in a new era that is increasingly dominated by humans and their ambitions, this tendency has destructive repercussions on the very environment that once supported and nurtured humankind. Wild animals are highly susceptible to human activities that damage ecosystems, and a loss of animal diversity can have unforeseen consequences on future human populations. In the research, I examine the avoidable reasons for the severe decline in population of four animal species, and through my art, imagine the losses associated with their disappearance. The artwork created evokes an emotional response in the viewer through dramatic, contrasting imagery, making them reassess the relationship between humans, animals and the environment.
ContributorsJudge, Nicole (Author) / Button, Melissa (Thesis director) / Hogden, Heidi (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Vaccinia virus is a cytoplasmic, double-stranded DNA orthopoxvirus. Unlike mammalian cells, vaccinia virus produces double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) during its viral life cycle. The protein kinase R, PKR, is one of the principal host defense mechanisms against orthopoxvirus infection. PKR can bind double-stranded RNA and phosphorylate eukaryotic translation initiation factor, eIF2α, shutting down protein synthesis and halting the viral life cycle. To combat host defenses, vaccinia virus encodes E3, a potent inhibitor of the cellular anti-viral eIF2α kinase, PKR. The E3 protein contains a C-terminal dsRNA-binding motif that sequesters dsRNA and inhibits PKR activation. We demonstrate that E3 also interacts with PKR by co-immunoprecipitation. This interaction is independent of the presence of dsRNA and dsRNA-binding by E3, indicating that the interaction is not due to dsRNA-bridging.
PKR interaction mapped to a region within the dsRNA-binding domain of E3 and overlapped with sequences in the C-terminus of this domain that are necessary for binding to dsRNA. Point mutants of E3 were generated and screened for PKR inhibition and direct interaction. Analysis of these mutants demonstrates that dsRNA-binding but not PKR interaction plays a critical role in the broad host range of VACV. Nonetheless, full inhibition of PKR in cells in culture requires both dsRNA-binding and PKR interaction. Because E3 is highly conserved among orthopoxviruses, understanding the mechanisms that E3 uses to inhibit PKR can give insight into host range pathogenesis of dsRNA producing viruses.
PKR interaction mapped to a region within the dsRNA-binding domain of E3 and overlapped with sequences in the C-terminus of this domain that are necessary for binding to dsRNA. Point mutants of E3 were generated and screened for PKR inhibition and direct interaction. Analysis of these mutants demonstrates that dsRNA-binding but not PKR interaction plays a critical role in the broad host range of VACV. Nonetheless, full inhibition of PKR in cells in culture requires both dsRNA-binding and PKR interaction. Because E3 is highly conserved among orthopoxviruses, understanding the mechanisms that E3 uses to inhibit PKR can give insight into host range pathogenesis of dsRNA producing viruses.
ContributorsFoster, Clayton (Co-author) / Alattar, Hamed (Co-author) / Jacobs, Bertram (Thesis director) / Blattman, Joseph (Committee member) / McFadden, Grant (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
The purpose of this creative project was to establish the foundation of an educational program that teaches financial literacy to the local homeless population. The name of this program is stillHUMAN. The project consisted of two parts, a needs analysis and a prototyping phase. The needs analysis was conducted at the Phoenix Rescue Mission Center, a faith-based homeless shelter that caters to male "clients", through written surveys and one-on-one interviews. Before interviewing the clients, the team acquired IRB approval as well as consent from the Center to carry out this study. These needs were then organized into a House of Quality. We concluded from Part 1 that we would need to create 3 - 7-minute-long video modules that would be available on an online platform and covered topics including professional development, budgeting, credit, and Internet literacy. In order to commence Part 2, each team member recorded a video module. These three videos collectively conveyed instruction regarding how to write a resume, use the Internet and fill out an application online, and how to budget money. These videos were uploaded to YouTube and shown to clients at Phoenix Rescue Mission, who were each asked to fill out a feedback survey afterwards. The team plans to use these responses to improve the quality of future video modules and ultimately create a holistic lesson plan that covers all financial literacy topics the clients desire. A website was also made to store future videos. The team plans to continue with this project post-graduation. Future tasks include creating and testing the a complete lesson plan, establishing a student organization at Arizona State University and recruiting volunteers from different disciplines, and creating an on-site tutoring program so clients may receive individualized attention. Once the lesson plan is demonstrated to be effective at Phoenix Rescue Mission, we plan to administer this lesson plan at other local homeless shelters and assess its efficacy in a non-faithbased and non-male environment. After a successful financial literacy program has been created, we aim to create lesson plans for other topics, including health literacy, human rights, and basic education. Ultimately stillHUMAN will become a sustainable program that unites the efforts of students and professionals to improve the quality of life of the homeless population.
ContributorsKim, Michael (Co-author) / Gulati, Guneet (Co-author) / Vanood, Aimen (Co-author) / Ganesh, Tirupalavanam (Thesis director) / Shrake, Scott (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, more commonly referred to as drones, have been a hot subject for the past few years. In the news, stories about drones cause the public alarm because of their seemingly increasing use. Problems have arisen with drones congesting airspace where manned aircraft fly, posing a huge threat to pilots and passengers of those aircraft. They have also caused concern of the public in matters of privacy. Drones are a go-anywhere and see-anything type of tool. They go where manned aircraft cannot, and where humans on the ground cannot. This video takes an in depth look at the issue of increasing civilian drone use, new regulations on users, categorizing types of drones, and possible solutions to the problems. Throughout the video, there will be three interviews. These interviews will be with experts in the field. The first person is Dr. Sarah Nilsson, Esq. She is a lawyer in drone law with her own practice. She has her PhD, CFI, and CFII as well as professional flying experience. The second person is Mr. Chris Andres. He is the Airport Administrator of Chandler Municipal Airport and offers a unique perspective on drones from an airport management standpoint. Lastly, the third person interviewed is a salesman at Viper Hobbies located in Mesa, AZ. He offers a perspective of drone use from the retail side, and also insight in FAA requirements of retailers and how retailers might offer education on regulation to the public.
ContributorsKataria, Sunil (Co-author) / Wren, Nicholas (Co-author) / Kimberly, Jimmy (Thesis director) / Nullmeyer, Robert (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Military Science (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Students Organize for Syria (SOS) is the student led initiative for Syria. With 18 registered chapters across the United States, this student organization is targeting a multidimensional cause by different means. Though it is now a national movement, it started off with one group at Arizona State University, with one student. Zana Alattar, founder and student director of SOS, tells the story of how she took an ASU organization, Save Our Syrian Freedom (SOS Freedom), to the national level as SOS. As a pre-medical student, she also combines her work in human rights with her future in healthcare. After all, health and human rights have long maintained a synergistic relationship.
ContributorsAlattar, Zana (Author) / Graff, Sarah (Thesis director) / McClurg, Sharolyn (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Curative arts and art therapy have been increasingly implicated in promoting health and well-being for patients, but little research has been done for the benefits of drawing therapy for stress management or individuals in a non-diseased state. College students and healthcare professionals are particularly susceptible to high levels of stress, as I experienced firsthand as a medical scribe in the Emergency Room during my undergraduate experience. For this reason, I wanted to focus on using curative arts as a mediator for high-stress situations. My creative project is therefore a portable framework for curative drawing. The framework is designed to help people process complex emotional states in a more effective way using mark-making and color. Specifically, the framework is designed for those who have limited experience with art making but can be used by anyone who feels a need for curative drawing. I used this framework in both individual and group settings, culminating in a final gallery show in which viewers were able to participate in the framework and take home a booklet with the framework printed inside. In conjunction with outside research, the help of my thesis committee, and the students of Drawing and Painting as Seeing and Thinking, the final project can be viewed as one part of the intersection between art and medicine in our ever-changing healthcare environment.
ContributorsCadigan, Megan Sierra (Author) / Button, Melissa (Thesis director) / Belgrave, Melita (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Purinergic receptors sense extracellular nucleotide DAMPs such as ATP and adenosine, which are expressed in high concentrations in the tumor microenvironment (TME). A2AR, an adenosine receptor that is expressed on both T cells and tumor cells, promotes immunosuppression. However, the impact of the TME on changes in purinergic receptor expression on CD8 T cells, as well as the overall dynamic between A2AR expression and tumor control, have not been clearly elucidated. Using in vitro co-culture experiments and in vivo murine tumor models, we found that A2AR is significantly upregulated on effector, tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells. This upregulation was independent of the hypoxia, which we identified via inhibition of HIF1A. We found that this upregulation was partially dependent on CD8 T cell-tumor contact, but independent of cognate antigen recognition, by using transwell co-cultures, as well as combinations of different transgenic lines of CD8 T cells and tumor cells. We confirmed this observation in vivo using transfer of activated OTI cells into B16.OVA-bearing mice. Ultimately, we observed that the upregulation depended on inhibitory receptors such as Tim3 via the antibody blockade of Tim3. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of A2AR on activated CD8 T cells, we found that tumor-bearing mice receiving A2AR knockout CD8 T cells had increased tumor control. Taken together, these results suggest that inhibitory receptor-dependent, TCR-independent signals in the TME promotes upregulation of A2AR on CD8 T cells, leading to impairment of CD8 T cell-mediated tumor control.
ContributorsZhou, Maggie (Author) / Borges da Silva, Henrique (Thesis director) / Borges Florsheim, Esther (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor)
Created2022-12
Description
This project was an exploratory take on outreach in the life sciences - looking into the existing literature and practices and formulating a proof of concept for future outreach with synthesizes my findings. The research culminated in the creation of an insect guide for the novice observer, which reads as a modern take on the dichotomous key and allows amateur insect observers to develop some skills of identification with relatively little entomological knowledge.
ContributorsHaddad, Mary (Author) / Polidoro, Beth (Thesis director) / Yule, Kelsey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
For my thesis, Professor Florsheim and I decided to focus on building lab experience in preparation for my master’s thesis. This included reading various research papers, starting a mast cell culture, and learning techniques essential for lab work. Additionally, I would conduct presentations and work with my peers to learn about various testing methods and components of the lab. One of the most crucial components of this experience included learning about how to collect bone marrow mast cells including how to properly sacrifice a mouse. My final product is the grant proposal which is what my focus will be for my master’s year.
ContributorsGalarza, Mayka (Author) / Florsheim, Esther (Thesis director) / Mana, Miyeko (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05