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Description
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease characterized by chronically elevated levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Glucose is a form of sugar that is used as fuel by the body’s cells. Blood glucose levels are usually tightly controlled and regulated through a negative feedback system. When this system fails, however,

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease characterized by chronically elevated levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Glucose is a form of sugar that is used as fuel by the body’s cells. Blood glucose levels are usually tightly controlled and regulated through a negative feedback system. When this system fails, however, glucose can accumulate in the bloodstream. This system failure typically results from insufficient insulin release due to malfunctioning pancreatic beta cells or the body has developed a resistance to insulin. Excessive glucose accumulation contributes to chronic inflammation and the hardening of blood vessels in the body. This inflammation contributes to a multitude of debilitating health issues such as neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, renal failure, and/or gangrene of the limbs. Additionally, DM is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States and its treatment comes with a significant economic deficit. While there is currently no cure, pharmaceuticals, dietary modification, physical activity, and weight control are the four main approaches for DM intervention and control. These four approaches each operate to regulate glucose using different biological pathways in order to reduce and regulate blood glucose levels. These pathways include improving insulin sensitivity and correcting pancreatic beta cell function. The purpose of this paper will be to provide an overview of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as well as to review the physiological mechanisms involved with glucose control and finally to discuss the use and effectiveness of the main interventional approaches used with the treatment of T2DM: pharmaceuticals, dietary control, physical activity and weight control.
ContributorsWoods, Jessica M (Author) / Swan, Pamela (Thesis director) / Larson, Rachel (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Modern audio datasets and machine learning software tools have given researchers a deep understanding into Music Information Retrieval (MIR) applications. In this paper, we investigate the accuracy and viability of using a machine learning based approach to perform music genre recognition using the Free Music Archive (FMA) dataset. We

Modern audio datasets and machine learning software tools have given researchers a deep understanding into Music Information Retrieval (MIR) applications. In this paper, we investigate the accuracy and viability of using a machine learning based approach to perform music genre recognition using the Free Music Archive (FMA) dataset. We compare the classification accuracy of popular machine learning models, implement various tuning techniques including principal components analysis (PCA), as well as provide an analysis of the effect of feature space noise on classification accuracy.
ContributorsKhondoker, Farib (Co-author) / Wildenstein, Diego (Co-author) / Spanias, Andreas (Thesis director) / Ingalls, Todd (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Following the 2008 financial crisis, two social movements emerged in the United States, both attempting to address economic anxieties and grievances, though from very different ideological positions. The Tea Party Movement and the Occupy Movement arose within a few years of one another, and both sought to explain the

Following the 2008 financial crisis, two social movements emerged in the United States, both attempting to address economic anxieties and grievances, though from very different ideological positions. The Tea Party Movement and the Occupy Movement arose within a few years of one another, and both sought to explain the failure of the existing economic system, whether in terms of overregulation and government overreach, or in terms of political corruption and the failures of capitalism. Despite both movements seeking to address economic failures and anxieties, and both movements emerging within two years of one another, the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Movement had very different trajectories and outcomes. Putting aside the question of how to measure the success of a social movement, it is clear that the lasting effects of these two movements were quite different despite substantial similarities in the timing of these movements, and the economic anxieties which helped fuel them. While there are likely a constellation of factors which contributed to the differing outcomes between these two movements, the factors of interest in this analysis are the narratives espoused by these movements, and the relationship between narrative, and the organization and political activities of these movements.
ContributorsHallikainen, Hannah (Author) / Kubiak, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Hechter, Michael (Committee member) / Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of yoga intensity on stress in a population of college-aged females. Stress has been shown to negatively impact health both physically and mentally, therefore it is imperative that there is a way to combat these negative health effects. Participants included

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of yoga intensity on stress in a population of college-aged females. Stress has been shown to negatively impact health both physically and mentally, therefore it is imperative that there is a way to combat these negative health effects. Participants included females between the ages of 18-25 who had been participating in physical activity 3-5 days per week (n=11). The subjects participated in two sessions of yoga, one of lower intensity, Hatha, and one of higher intensity, Vinyasa. Stress was measured by a Stress Indicators Questionnaire, which was modified to fit the aim of the study. It was filled out by the subjects pre and post each session, resulting in four questionnaires per subject. The yoga classes were displayed through a program called YogaGlo. The data was scored and analyzed with a modified scoring guideline based off of the questionnaire guidelines and with the use of Excel. The results showed that there was a statistically significant effect of both low (p value= 0.02) and high (p value= 0.01) intensity yoga on stress. There was not a statistically significant effect between the different yoga intensities on stress (p value= 0.3). Limitations of our study include a self-selective population, no control group, and demand characteristics. The results from this study should be used for further research on yoga and various aspects of mental health, such as anxiety and depression, with a female population of all ages, longer yoga sessions, and a longitudinal study format.
ContributorsSydenham, Isabella Anne (Co-author) / Edwards, Christina (Co-author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Nolan, Nicole Blaize (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
This study identifies and examines healthcare barriers experienced by the Hispanic1 population in Phoenix, Arizona. A cross-sectional survey was used to explore these barriers for 123 members of the community, and the findings reveal that the main impediments to healthcare faced by the Hispanic population are structured by their language,

This study identifies and examines healthcare barriers experienced by the Hispanic1 population in Phoenix, Arizona. A cross-sectional survey was used to explore these barriers for 123 members of the community, and the findings reveal that the main impediments to healthcare faced by the Hispanic population are structured by their language, immigration status, education level, and access to health insurance. The results of the survey were then analyzed to explore possible mechanisms of the origin or intensification of the barriers, as well as potential solutions such as educating future providers to be culturally competent, usage of integrated medical settings, and the advertisement and extension of Promotoras to the community.
ContributorsMusch, Cristina Lizbeth (Author) / Rosales, Jesus (Thesis director) / Estevez, Dulce (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
This paper will discuss Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, a federal law that states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or

This paper will discuss Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, a federal law that states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal assistance”. The act was passed by the 92nd Congress of the Unites States, a legislative body comprised of only fifteen females out of all 535 representatives. The original act of legislation did not address athletics or sports at all, it was meant to promote gender equality for faculty and student enrollment among American educational institutions. It was not until 1973 that Congress began addressing the issue of athletic representation with the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1987 the Civil Rights Restoration Act formally brought athletics within the scope of activities covered by Title IX. This addition requires athletic departments to comply with Title IX regulations based on gender representation, creating standards that must be met to prove institution’s athletic departments are complying with Title IX.
This paper seeks to prove that while Title IX has been successful in terms of providing opportunity for females to pursue intercollegiate sports, the opposite has become the case in terms of coaching and administrative roles. Instead, males have seized the positions that have opened up from the repercussions of Title IX, an unintended consequence that has severely limited a female’s ability to pursue a career in coaching or administrative sport. The growing prestige and salary that is awarded to head coaches of female teams has drawn attention and brought prestige to the position, urging male coaches to take on the role of coaching female teams. Meanwhile, females are not given the same opportunity to coach their male counterparts, creating an unfair advantage for males pursuing coaching careers. This therefore leaves women with a much more limited scope of opportunity for coaching positions, contributing to the unbalanced representation of male/female in sport.
ContributorsBelkoff, Corinne (Author) / Lynk, Myles (Thesis director) / Hoyt, Heather (Committee member) / Jackson, Victoria (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
The following paper is a comparison between the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio (Sant’Ambrogio Market) in Florence, Italy and the Open Air Farmers’ Market in Phoenix, Arizona. Farmers’ markets, such as these, serve to rekindle a relationship with food that over time has been lost, particularly due to the green revolution, globalisation,

The following paper is a comparison between the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio (Sant’Ambrogio Market) in Florence, Italy and the Open Air Farmers’ Market in Phoenix, Arizona. Farmers’ markets, such as these, serve to rekindle a relationship with food that over time has been lost, particularly due to the green revolution, globalisation, and the mechanization of agriculture. In addition, farmers’ markets serve to foster relationships between community members and farmers, and they are an important element of a movement to create food sovereignty within local communities. Food sovereignty gives people the right to decide their food choices. In our modern system where many agricultural decisions are made by the government or large corporations, reclaiming food sovereignty is a larger effort to take back control of personal rights, individual health and the health of the environment.
Using Sant’Ambrogio and Open Air as case studies for the research, this paper provides insight on the degree of impact that local farmers’ markets can have on creating food sovereignty within communities; and how pre-existing factors and negative forces diminish the benefits of farmers’ markets and local food movements. Among many, some of these negative forces include the effects of social and cultural pressures that promote fast food and convenience; a broken agricultural system controlled by monopoly companies; industrial food items priced cheaper than small farmers can compete with; and an underscore of unethical behavior across all sectors (including organic and local) that inhibit honest farmers from making enough profit to survive.
The comparison between Sant’Ambrogio and Open Air Market indicates that big agriculture undermines the success of local farming movements in both countries, but Phoenix can still learn from the movement in Florence, which is rooted in a deep history of outdoor markets and rich food culture. Italy is fortunate in terms of their agriculture capacity because their climate allows for a diverse variety of crops; while Arizona does not have the same agricultural capacity as the Mediterranean climate of Italy, it is still valuable to mimic the network of local food systems that Italy has. In order to do so, Phoenician consumers should take advantage of the food that grows locally and then supplement it with more diverse crops from other areas of Arizona or the southwest.
The Open Air Market in Phoenix currently does not play an important role in the food system except for helping people to relate community and socialization to food. Transparency, communication and education are required to actually increase the success of small local farmers and to help the Open Air Market play a real role in the local food movement and the establishment of food sovereignty.
ContributorsAnderson, Layla (Author) / Vitullo, Juliann (Thesis director) / McGregor, Joan (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
Tissue engineering is an emerging field focused on the repair, replacement, and regeneration of damaged tissue. Engineered tissue consists of three factors: cells, biomolecular signals, and a scaffold. Cell-free scaffolds present a unique opportunity to develop highly specific microenvironments with tunable properties. Norbornene-functionalized hyaluronic acid (NorHA) hydrogels provide spatial control

Tissue engineering is an emerging field focused on the repair, replacement, and regeneration of damaged tissue. Engineered tissue consists of three factors: cells, biomolecular signals, and a scaffold. Cell-free scaffolds present a unique opportunity to develop highly specific microenvironments with tunable properties. Norbornene-functionalized hyaluronic acid (NorHA) hydrogels provide spatial control over biomolecule binding through a photopolymerization process. With this, biomimetic gradients can be produced to model a variety of tissue interfaces. To produce these patterns, a gradient mechanism was developed to function in tandem with a syringe pump. A conversion equation was derived to calculate a panel speed from the volumetric flow rate setting on the pump. Seven speeds were used to produce fluorophore gradients on the surface of NorHA hydrogels to assess changes in the length and slope of the gradient. The results indicated a strong positive linear correlation between the speed of the panel and the length of the gradient as well as a strong negative correlation between the speed of the panel and the slope of the gradient. Additionally, the mechanism was able to successfully produce several other types of gradients including multiregional, dual, and triregional.
ContributorsSogge, Amber (Author) / Holloway, Julianne (Thesis director) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Committee member) / Fumasi, Fallon (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
The first numerical predictions of the dynamical diquark model of multiquark exotic hadrons are presented. Using Born-Oppenheimer potentials calculated from lattice QCD and phenomenological diquark(triquark) masses, mass eigenvalues that are degenerate in spin and isospin are computed from numerical solutions to both coupled and uncoupled Schroedinger equations. Assuming reasonable estimates

The first numerical predictions of the dynamical diquark model of multiquark exotic hadrons are presented. Using Born-Oppenheimer potentials calculated from lattice QCD and phenomenological diquark(triquark) masses, mass eigenvalues that are degenerate in spin and isospin are computed from numerical solutions to both coupled and uncoupled Schroedinger equations. Assuming reasonable estimates of the fine-structure splittings, we find that the band structure of our mass spectra agrees well with the experimentally observed spectrum of charmonium-like states. Using our best fits, we predict a number of unobserved states, such as pentaquark states that lie below the charmonium-plus-nucleon threshold.
ContributorsPeterson, Curtis Taylor Taylor (Author) / Lebed, Richard (Thesis director) / Belitsky, Andrei (Committee member) / Department of Physics (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
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Description
In this moment, as I find myself on the brink of transition from my undergraduate studies into my postgraduate endeavors, I find my conscious drift back and forth between reflection on my experience to date, and contemplation of what awaits. As I reach this milestone, I am challenged with the

In this moment, as I find myself on the brink of transition from my undergraduate studies into my postgraduate endeavors, I find my conscious drift back and forth between reflection on my experience to date, and contemplation of what awaits. As I reach this milestone, I am challenged with the task of creating a thesis that not only projects what I have learned and how I have grown in my time at Barrett, the Honors College, but how I will continue to grow and impact the world into which I set out. This growth, subtle yet constant permeates my collegiate experience. I have grown in knowledge, experience, and maturity. I am more self-aware yet working to become less self-conscious, and more selfless. I have made lasting memories I wish I could relive and reckless mistakes I wish I could forget, but both wishes are unavailable, and would be unproductive if granted. I have only grown by being open to new experiences that I may one day cherish and avoiding the pitfalls that have brought forth instances of destruction and despair. I hope to represent this growth in this thesis so that it may serve as a launching pad for me and for those who read it, so that together we can begin to solve the problem I address, a problem that has grown but which we must not allow to grown out of control.
ContributorsRapier, Matthew Owen (Author) / Duerden, Sarah (Thesis director) / Foster, William J. (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05