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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
Description
Geology and its tangential studies, collectively known and referred to in this thesis as geosciences, have been paramount to the transformation and advancement of society, fundamentally changing the way we view, interact and live with the surrounding natural and built environment. It is important to recognize the value and importance of this interdisciplinary scientific field while reconciling its ties to imperial and colonizing extractive systems which have led to harmful and invasive endeavors. This intersection among geosciences, (environmental) justice studies, and decolonization is intended to promote inclusive pedagogical models through just and equitable methodologies and frameworks as to prevent further injustices and promote recognition and healing of old wounds. By utilizing decolonial frameworks and highlighting the voices of peoples from colonized and exploited landscapes, this annotated syllabus tackles the issues previously described while proposing solutions involving place-based education and the recentering of land within geoscience pedagogical models. (abstract)
ContributorsReed, Cameron E (Author) / Richter, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Semken, Steven (Committee member) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The ASU COVID-19 testing lab process was developed to operate as the primary testing site for all ASU staff, students, and specified external individuals. Tests are collected at various collection sites, including a walk-in site at the SDFC and various drive-up sites on campus; analysis is conducted on ASU campus and results are distributed virtually to all patients via the Health Services patient portal. The following is a literature review on past implementations of various process improvement techniques and how they can be applied to the ABCTL testing process to achieve laboratory goals. (abstract)
ContributorsKrell, Abby Elizabeth (Co-author) / Bruner, Ashley (Co-author) / Ramesh, Frankincense (Co-author) / Lewis, Gabriel (Co-author) / Barwey, Ishna (Co-author) / Myers, Jack (Co-author) / Hymer, William (Co-author) / Reagan, Sage (Co-author) / Compton, Carolyn (Thesis director) / McCarville, Daniel R. (Committee member) / Industrial, Systems & Operations Engineering Prgm (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Muscular weakness is a common manifestation for Stroke survivors and for patients with Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction leading to reduced functional independence, especially mobility. Several rigid orthotic devices are being designed to assist mobility. However, limitations in majority of these devices are: 1) that they are constrained only to level walking applications, 2) are mostly bulky and rigid lacking user comfort. For these reasons, rehabilitation using soft-robotics can serve as a powerful modality in gait assistance and potentially accelerate functional recovery. The characteristics of soft robotic exosuit is that it’s more flexible, delivers high power to weight ratio, and conforms with the user’s body structure making it a suitable choice. This work explores the implementation of an existing soft robotic exosuit in assisting knee joint mechanism during stair ascent for patients with muscular weakness. The exosuit assists by compensating the lack of joint moment and minimizing the load on the affected limb. It consists of two I-cross-section soft pneumatic actuators encased within a sleeve along with insole sensor shoes and control electronics. The exosuit actuators were mechanically characterized at different angles, in accordance to knee flexion in stair gait, to enable the generation of the desired joint moments. A linear relation between the actuator stiffness and internal pressure as a function of the knee angle was obtained. Results from this characterization along with the insole sensor outputs were used to provide assistance to the knee joint. Analysis of stair gait with and without the exosuit ‘active’ was performed, using surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors, for two healthy participants at a slow walking speed. Preliminary user testing with the exosuit presented a promising 16% reduction in average muscular activity of Vastus Lateralis muscle and a 3.6% reduction on Gluteus Maximus muscle during the stance phase and unrestrained motion during the swing phase of ascent thereby demonstrating the applicability of the soft-inflatable exosuit in rehabilitation.
ContributorsMuthukrishnan, Niveditha (Author) / Polygerinos, Panagiotis (Thesis advisor) / Lockhart, Thurmon (Committee member) / Peterson, Daniel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Individuals fluent in sign language who have at least one deaf parent are considered native signers while those with non-signing, hearing parents are non-native signers. Musculoskeletal pain from repetitive motion is more common from non-natives than natives. The goal of this study was twofold: 1) to examine differences in upper extremity (UE) biomechanical measures between natives and non-natives and 2) upon creating a composite measure of injury-risk unique to signers, to compare differences in scores between natives and non-natives. Non-natives were hypothesized to have less favorable biomechanical measures and composite injury-risk scores compared to natives. Dynamometry was used for measurement of strength, electromyography for ‘micro’ rest breaks and muscle tension, optical motion capture for ballistic signing, non-neutral joint angle and work envelope, a numeric pain rating scale for pain, and the modified Strain Index (SI) as a composite measure of injury-risk. There were no differences in UE strength (all p≥0.22). Natives had more rest (natives 76.38%; non-natives 26.86%; p=0.002) and less muscle tension (natives 11.53%; non-natives 48.60%; p=0.008) for non-dominant upper trapezius across the first minute of the trial. For ballistic signing, no differences were found in resultant linear segment acceleration when producing the sign for ‘again’ (natives 27.59m/s2; non-natives 21.91m/s2; p=0.20). For non-neutral joint angle, natives had more wrist flexion-extension motion when producing the sign for ‘principal’ (natives 54.93°; non-natives 46.23°; p=0.04). Work envelope demonstrated the greatest significance when determining injury-risk. Natives had a marginally greater work envelope along the z-axis (inferior-superior) across the first minute of the trial (natives 35.80cm; non-natives 30.84cm; p=0.051). Natives (30%) presented with a lower pain prevalence than non-natives (40%); however, there was no significant difference in the modified SI scores (natives 4.70 points; non-natives 3.06 points; p=0.144) and no association between presence of pain with the modified SI score (r=0.087; p=0.680). This work offers a comprehensive analysis of all the previously identified UE biomechanics unique to signers and helped to inform a composite measure of injury-risk. Use of the modified SI demonstrates promise, although its lack of association with pain does confirm that injury-risk encompasses other variables in addition to a signer’s biomechanics.
ContributorsRoman, Gretchen Anne (Author) / Swan, Pamela (Thesis advisor) / Vidt, Meghan (Committee member) / Peterson, Daniel (Committee member) / Lockhart, Thurmon (Committee member) / Ofori, Edward (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Injuries and death associated with fall incidences pose a significant burden to society, both in terms of human suffering and economic losses. The main aim of this dissertation is to study approaches that can reduce the risk of falls. One major subset of falls is falls due to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). Freezing of gait (FOG) is a major cause of falls in this population. Therefore, a new FOG detection method using wavelet transform technique employing optimal sampling window size, update time, and sensor placements for identification of FOG events is created and validated in this dissertation. Another approach to reduce the risk of falls in PD patients is to correctly diagnose PD motor subtypes. PD can be further divided into two subtypes based on clinical features: tremor dominant (TD), and postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD). PIGD subtype can place PD patients at a higher risk for falls compared to TD patients and, they have worse postural control in comparison to TD patients. Accordingly, correctly diagnosing subtypes can help caregivers to initiate early amenable interventions to reduce the risk of falls in PIGD patients. As such, a method using the standing center-of-pressure time series data has been developed to identify PD motor subtypes in this dissertation. Finally, an intervention method to improve dynamic stability was tested and validated. Unexpected perturbation-based training (PBT) is an intervention method which has shown promising results in regard to improving balance and reducing falls. Although PBT has shown promising results, the efficacy of such interventions is not well understood and evaluated. In other words, there is paucity of data revealing the effects of PBT on improving dynamic stability of walking and flexible gait adaptability. Therefore, the effects
of three types of perturbation methods on improving dynamics stability was assessed. Treadmill delivered translational perturbations training improved dynamic stability, and adaptability of locomotor system in resisting perturbations while walking.
of three types of perturbation methods on improving dynamics stability was assessed. Treadmill delivered translational perturbations training improved dynamic stability, and adaptability of locomotor system in resisting perturbations while walking.
ContributorsRezvanian, Saba (Author) / Lockhart, Thurmon (Thesis advisor) / Buneo, Christopher (Committee member) / Lieberman, Abraham (Committee member) / Abbas, James (Committee member) / Deep, Aman (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
For as long as humans have been working, they have been looking for ways to get that work done better, faster, and more efficient. Over the course of human history, mankind has created innumerable spectacular inventions, all with the goal of making the economy and daily life more efficient. Today, innovations and technological advancements are happening at a pace like never seen before, and technology like automation and artificial intelligence are poised to once again fundamentally alter the way people live and work in society. Whether society is prepared or not, robots are coming to replace human labor, and they are coming fast. In many areas artificial intelligence has disrupted entire industries of the economy. As people continue to make advancements in artificial intelligence, more industries will be disturbed, more jobs will be lost, and entirely new industries and professions will be created in their wake. The future of the economy and society will be determined by how humans adapt to the rapid innovations that are taking place every single day. In this paper I will examine the extent to which automation will take the place of human labor in the future, project the potential effect of automation to future unemployment, and what individuals and society will need to do to adapt to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology. I will also look at the history of automation in the economy. For centuries humans have been advancing technology to make their everyday work more productive and efficient, and for centuries this has forced humans to adapt to the modern technology through things like training and education. The thesis will additionally examine the ways in which the U.S. education system will have to adapt to meet the demands of the advancing economy, and how job retraining programs must be modernized to prepare workers for the changing economy.
ContributorsCunningham, Reed P. (Author) / DeSerpa, Allan (Thesis director) / Haglin, Brett (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Businesses stand to face many uncertainties from the moment they start up to every moment in between. A business can try to recognize them and plan ahead, react to them as they occur, or be rocked by a black swan they never saw coming. How a business deals with unforeseen events can increase its potential for success or failure. With this in mind, there is no better bridge between the here and now and the future than planning for change in order to move a company toward preparing for change, adapting to change and achieving optimal results. Interested in taking a step toward the digital age, Alpha Homes Management, Inc. (Alpha Homes) sought our help to explore ideas and options to take their company to a new level. This Barrett Creative Project was centered on designing a system for Alpha Homes that will replace their outdated paper-based system with a more digital one. This aligns with the project also featured as a capstone project as required by the information technology degree expectations. In supplement to the capstone, and for the Barrett Creative Project, the final product was presented to the owners of Alpha Homes Management, Inc. to be utilized by the business. The end goal is to provide a platform which provides a paperless environment for documentation and bring the company a step closer to having a robust internet presence. Now that the web-based application product has been created and presented, the testing phase can now begin to evaluate its efficacy.
ContributorsBrice-Nash, Tristan (Co-author) / Alfawzan, Mohammad (Co-author) / Doheny, Damien (Thesis director) / Rodriguez, Carlos (Committee member) / Information Technology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
An ethical dilemma is not a matter of “right” versus “wrong,” but rather it is a situation of conflicting values. A common ethical dilemma is that of honesty versus loyalty—is it better to tell the truth, or remain loyal to the company? In the Japanese culture, truth is circumstantial and can vary with different situations. In a way, the Japanese idea of honesty reflects how highly they value loyalty. This overlap of values results in the lack of an ethical dilemma for the Japanese, which creates a new risk for fraud. Without this struggle, a Japanese employee does not have strong justification against committing fraud if it aligns with his values of honesty and loyalty.
This paper looks at the Japanese values relating to honesty and loyalty to show how much these ideas overlap. The lack of a conflict of values creates a risk for fraud, which will be shown through an analysis of the scandals of two Japanese companies, Toshiba and Olympus. These scandals shine light on the complexity of the ethical dilemma for the Japanese employees; since their sense of circumstantial honesty encourages them to lie if it maintains the harmony of the group, there is little stopping them from committing the fraud that their superiors asked them to commit.
In a global economy, understanding the ways that values impact business and decisions is important for both interacting with others and anticipating potential conflicts, including those that may result in or indicate potential red flags for fraud.
This paper looks at the Japanese values relating to honesty and loyalty to show how much these ideas overlap. The lack of a conflict of values creates a risk for fraud, which will be shown through an analysis of the scandals of two Japanese companies, Toshiba and Olympus. These scandals shine light on the complexity of the ethical dilemma for the Japanese employees; since their sense of circumstantial honesty encourages them to lie if it maintains the harmony of the group, there is little stopping them from committing the fraud that their superiors asked them to commit.
In a global economy, understanding the ways that values impact business and decisions is important for both interacting with others and anticipating potential conflicts, including those that may result in or indicate potential red flags for fraud.
ContributorsTabar, Kelly Ann (Author) / Samuelson, Melissa (Thesis director) / Goldman, Alan (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This paper will be exploring a marketing plan for a Kpop Fan artist, Jennifer Lee. Kpop is a genre of music originating from South Korea that provides a whole-package entertainment. Fan artists are producers who create produce for the consumption and purchase of other Kpop fans. The paper will consider segmentation and the products and platforms that best target them in order to maximize revenue. A survey was performed with a sample size of 314 participants to find out consumer behavior and preference as well as producer situation. Consumers come from both the United States and abroad. Customers come directly and almost exclusively from followers. Therefore, increasing the number of followers on Instagram is essential to increasing revenue. Jennifer has time, resource, and ability constraints, while the market has limited potential. The conclusion is that Jennifer should become more organized as a business. To grow her following, she should cater more towards the most popular fandoms (BTS), make art tutorials, consider collaborations, and better inform followers of her products/services available for purchase. The social media platforms key to marketing Jennifer's products are Instagram and Twitter. Other platforms to be used to increase exposure are Tumblr, Amino Apps, DeviantArt, Reddit, and YouTube. She must also declutter all of these virtual storefronts of unnecessary content to varying degrees in order to build ease of access and a trustworthy brand image. The best platforms for transaction is a personal store, RedBubble (a website that allows users to sell a variety of products with their uploaded images printed onto them), Patreon, and in-person at conventions.
ContributorsXu, Everest Christine (Author) / Eaton, Kathryn (Thesis director) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In recent years, sex trafficking awareness and intervention have skyrocketed in the United States. The 2016 Polaris Hotline Statistics Sheet reports a drastic increase of reported sex trafficking cases over the span of four years, with only 3,409 cases of human trafficking in 2012 and 8,042 in 2016, 73% of which were specifically sex trafficking cases (Polaris Project, 2016). The incidence of sex trafficking has not increased, but rather, attention to sex trafficking and implementation of legislation has increased awareness and reporting (Farrell et al., 2012). While this rise in public awareness of sex trafficking has positively impacted victim identification, there has not been an increase in convicting sex traffickers (Polaris Project, 2016). According to the 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report, 3,000 federal investigations that involved human trafficking, the majority of which specifically involved sex trafficking, were opened in 2015. Of these federal investigations, only 10% led to case prosecutions. Analyzing the relationship of law enforcement, specifically vice units, and victims of sex trafficking is just one of the many ways to address this complex issue. This study consisted of a qualitative analysis of the makeup, training, and policing methods of vice units nationwide. It further aimed to determine the vice officer perceptions regarding the elements that make sex trafficking cases convictable.
ContributorsPradhan, Krishnaa (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Kinzig, Ann (Committee member) / Kim, Grace (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05