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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
- Creators: Prokofiev, Sergey, 1891-1953
Description
Educational inequity – derived from disproportionate levels of resource availability and school quality – warrants examination from an economic perspective. The basket of topics pertinent to education policy today, may be characterized (mostly) into three categories, all representing key theoretical concepts of economics: supply, demand, and sorting. Furthermore, funding, teacher, and capital allocation patterns could inform the potential causal relationship between increased school demand (and resulting supply) and enhanced academic performance. My paper examines the district-level impact of positive school supply shocks – modeled via new school facility openings – on sorting and student performance on a standardized test. Applying econometric estimation techniques, my paper examines whether new school openings produce differential treatment effects in districts with separate socioeconomic composition. My methodology stems from previous research done by Cellini, Riegg, Ferreira, and Rothstein (2010), and Neilson and Zimmerman (2011). I also draw from Evans, Yoo, and Sipple (2010) to investigate an estimated version of student stability as a potential mechanism driving results. All 3 papers relate to school infrastructure and student performance. I find convincingly that test score improvements are relatively higher in districts experiencing a new school facility opening in FY 2009, than in districts without an opening. Additionally, I note treatment effect magnitude to be far smaller in districts exhibiting above-average income residents. In order to examine this finding further, I explore year-to-year changes in both pupil-to-teacher ratios and geographic mobility to characterize potential mechanisms behind this distinction. My results are consistent with research predecessors in that they suggest lower SES students benefit disproportionately from treatment and that test scores are decreasing in geographic mobility. Aside from previous research, I believe my finding that new school facilities most greatly improve student test performance in schools with lower pupil-to-teacher ratios, is unique and slightly inconsistent with the objective purpose of the new school facilities I examine. By using new school openings granted by the School Facilities Board of Arizona, I model a direct product of increased demand and am able to comment on how supply-side reactions impact high and low income districts differentially.
ContributorsBonaguidi, Matt (Author) / Veramendi, Gregory (Thesis director) / Murphy, Alvin (Committee member) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This study was conducted in order to determine whether the lagomorphs of 111 Ranch- Aztlanolagus agilis, Hypolagus arizonensis, and Sylvilagus cunicularius- could be distinguished based on femora. This is because while there is a large quantity of disarticulated lagomorph postcranial fossils from 111 Ranch, the chief diagnostic traits of A. agilis and H. arizonensis are the enamel patterns on their third premolars, leaving a large swath of specimens unidentifiable by diagnostic traits alone. Specimens from the Arizona Museum of Natural History were measured and compared to specimens known to be from these genera. Additionally, morphological traits in mandibles were used to identify mandible specimens, which in turn were used to identify fossils with the same specimen label. Statistical tests such as t-tests and principal components analyses were used to examine the distributions of sizes and locate clusters of datapoints likely corresponding to each genus. Some of these could be linked to a genus based on one particular specimen, P15156, which had been identified as Hypolagus based on its mandible morphology and size. The majority of the Museum'a specimens were thus associated with one of the three species, save for those which were too damaged and intermediate in size to confidently categorize.
ContributorsTkacik, Stephanie Marie (Author) / Farmer, Jack (Thesis director) / Reed, Kaye (Committee member) / McCord, Robert (Committee member) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The most important task for a beginning computer science student, in order for them to succeed in their future studies, is to learn to be able to understand code. One of the greatest indicators of student success in beginning programming courses is the ability to read code and predict its output, as this shows that the student truly understands what each line of code is doing. Yet few tools available to students today focus on helping students to improve their ability to read code. The goal of the random Python program generator is to give students a tool to practice this important skill.
The program writes randomly generated, syntactically correct Python 3 code in order to provide students infinite examples from which to study. The end goal of the project is to create an interactive tool where beginning programming students can click a button to generate a random code snippet, check if what they predict the output to be is correct, and get an explanation of the code line by line. The tool currently lacks a front end, but it currently is able to write Python code that includes assignment statements, delete statements, if statements, and print statements. It supports boolean, float, integer, and string variable types.
The program writes randomly generated, syntactically correct Python 3 code in order to provide students infinite examples from which to study. The end goal of the project is to create an interactive tool where beginning programming students can click a button to generate a random code snippet, check if what they predict the output to be is correct, and get an explanation of the code line by line. The tool currently lacks a front end, but it currently is able to write Python code that includes assignment statements, delete statements, if statements, and print statements. It supports boolean, float, integer, and string variable types.
ContributorsDiLorenzo, Kaitlyn (Author) / Meuth, Ryan (Thesis director) / Miller, Phillip (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Coastal dunes are dynamic landforms that provide the first defense for sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Coastal dunes depend on vegetation to trap and store sediment, which alters beach-dune sediment budgets and foredune morphology. Invasive vegetation species change these patterns and alter how the system responds to both littoral and aeolian processes. Dynamic restoration is a growing practice whereby plant communities are modified to enhance aeolian processes and help return coastal dune ecosystems to a more ‘natural’ state of ecosystem structure and function. A portion of the foredune system at the Lanphere Dunes in the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge (HBNWR), near Arcata in northern California was targeted for dynamic restoration. The invasive plant species Ammophila arenaria (European beach grass) was removed in August 2015, while native vegetation treatments consisting of combinations of a dune mat forb assemblage and the dune grass Elymus mollis (Sea Lyme-grass) were planted over the summer and over the winter of 2016-17. Four different vegetation regimes were studied consisting of a control plot of A. arenaria two plots of exclusively Dune mat and E. mollis, and then a plot that is the combination if Dune mat and E. mollis. This restoration presented the opportunity to study the patterns of vegetation re-establishment and the related responses in sedimentation and morphological adjustment of the foredune system at both the landform and vegetation plot scales. Bi-annual terrestrial laser scanning surveys and cross-shore transects were used to calculate volumes of sediment change, distinguish patterns of sediment erosion/deposition and discern geomorphic change within different plant cover types. Results suggest that the Dune mat-E. mollis assemblage was most effective a trapping sediment with 96.9% of the plot experiencing deposition over the 17-month observation period, to a spatially averaged depth of +0.16m. During the study, the Dune mat treatment site experienced a landward flattening of its crest and considerable erosion of up to -0.5m around the plants, resulting in a normalized volumetric change of -0.139 m3 m-2. The E. mollis site experienced considerable sediment bypassing on the stoss slope and deposition on the lee slope of the foredune, resulting in accumulation at the toe of the lee slope of +0.6m while base of the lee slope moved 4m landwards. Site morphodynamics and sediment budgets were also influenced by changes in vegetation density and recovery from storm erosion. Longer terms studies could be conducted to investigate responses to vegetation disturbances over a longer temporal scale.
ContributorsHuck, Rosemary Alice (Author) / Walker, Ian (Thesis director) / Dorn, Ronald (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Top Cup plans on opening its doors by 2020 in Gilbert, Arizona. This differentiation strategy goes into depth about the steps needed to properly and efficiently introduce Top Cup to the coffee industry. A market analysis determined that Top Cup’s ideal consumer is to be described as the “sophisticated” customer between the ages of 18-54. They are described as affluent, working professionals who value quality and will spend on luxury items. Considering that Top Cup is advertising its high-quality products, a zip analysis was performed on 85293 to validate the practicality of targeting this market segment. 64% of the population residing in this zip code, labeled Boomburbs, encompass the same appeals as the ideal consumer Top Cup should seek. Top Cup’s mission is to serve consumers the best quality premium coffee products in an ambience-centric environment. By utilizing a product value strategy and expert-recommended strategy, Top Cup can access higher margins of profit in their asking price. The implementation of a pub-themed coffee shop will differentiate Top Cup from industry competitors and provide a unique experience to consumers on a daily basis.
ContributorsJaber, Ranine (Co-author, Co-author) / Eaton, Kate (Thesis director) / Schlacter, John (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Employers must go beyond diversifying their workforce and prioritize inclusion in their workplace. This thesis is written to employers to provide a comprehensive, introductory look into why and how an employer could prioritize inclusion in their workplace. In part one, a literature review answers the following questions: What is inclusion? How are diversity and inclusion related? How is the workplace exclusive? What is an inclusive workplace like? and What are the benefits of having an inclusive workplace? Then, in part two, a case study analysis reviews best practices of a company that has been recognized as being inclusive. Through both of these parts, three overacting principles emerge; inclusion should be a widespread value in an organization, new practices must move beyond the superficial to have real impact and all employees in the organization should be engaged in making the workplace more inclusive. Change also must happen in three areas including the climate, leadership and practices of an organization.
ContributorsMooney, Samantha Jean (Co-author) / Mooney, Samantha (Co-author) / Smith, Jacqueline (Thesis director) / Sully de Luque, Mary (Committee member) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common form of chronic liver disease in the United States. Diets high in saturated fats are known to promote obesity and hepatic steatosis. The consumption of a high fat diet (HFD) can increase the risk factors associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to the onset of diabetes and obesity. A prior study of a soil-derived organometallic complex (OMC) showed that supplementation reduces glucose and body mass in diabetic mice. The goal of this study was to test the efficacy of a similar OMC compound on the mitigation of hepatic steatosis induced from a HFD. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=42) were divided into the following diet groups: standard rodent chow or 60% kcal from fat high fat diet (mainly lard) for 10-weeks. Rats were further divided into OMC treatment groups with OMC added to their drinking water: 0 mg/ml, 0.6 mg/ml or 3.0mg/ml OMC. At 10 weeks, study animals were euthanized with sodium pentobarbital (200 mg/kg, i.p.) and cardiac plasma as well as liver samples were collected and stored at -80° C until further analyses. Plasma ALT and AST as well as liver triglyceride and free glycerol concentrations were measured using commercially available kits. To assess cellular injury, aspartate transaminase (AST; released mainly from injured cardiac and liver cells) and alanine transaminase (ALT; released mainly from injured liver cells) were examined. Rats fed HFD had elevated plasma ALT activity, which was prevented by treatment with the high dose of OMC (p<0.05). No changes in plasma AST activity were detected. Examination of liver triglyceride and free glycerol concentrations showed increased fat accumulation in the liver of rats consuming HFD (Two-Way ANOVA, p<0.001). OMC did not prevent this increase. These findings suggest that, although OMC does not prevent the accumulation of lipids in the liver of rats fed HFD, it does mitigate liver injury resulting from excess dietary intake of saturated fats.
ContributorsWood, Courtney Ann (Author) / Sweazea, Karen (Thesis director) / Shaibi, Gabriel (Committee member) / Johnston, Carol (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The Vermillion Comedic Anthology comprises of three works of fiction, each around fifteen pages in length. The stories were written throughout the course of Hunter Vermillion’s residency in the English: Creative Writing (Fiction) program at Arizona State University. The first story Study-a-Broad, was written in his capstone fiction class, while the second story Herald’s Horticulture was the first piece Hunter wrote in his first fiction class.
The content of these stories is edgy, humorous, satirical (unlike this abstract), and generally absurd—all this while retaining elements of realism. “Realism” in the sense that any of these stories could occur; there are no supernatural elements contained. However, the actions and characters are so exaggerated that their purposes are to call attention to the character/societal flaws to which they reflect. The more edgy elements of these stories are not included for shock value; in fact, just the opposite. Their sparse use is purposeful to call extra attention to a certain scene or action. Often a story’s use of crude language is intended characterize these despicable actions as negative—to show that a boss should not be treating those around him like servants, for instance (as is the case in the story Fore!).
Disclaimer aside, the true intention of these stories is simple: to entertain. These are humorous pieces, aimed at poking fun at some typical college, workplace, and neighborhood drama. That’s not to say the pieces are devoid of any deeper meaning, because as described above, they seek to satirize overlooked bits of culture. However, the overarching goal of the Vermillion Comedic Anthology is to entertain readers and provide them much need escape from the stresses of the world.
The content of these stories is edgy, humorous, satirical (unlike this abstract), and generally absurd—all this while retaining elements of realism. “Realism” in the sense that any of these stories could occur; there are no supernatural elements contained. However, the actions and characters are so exaggerated that their purposes are to call attention to the character/societal flaws to which they reflect. The more edgy elements of these stories are not included for shock value; in fact, just the opposite. Their sparse use is purposeful to call extra attention to a certain scene or action. Often a story’s use of crude language is intended characterize these despicable actions as negative—to show that a boss should not be treating those around him like servants, for instance (as is the case in the story Fore!).
Disclaimer aside, the true intention of these stories is simple: to entertain. These are humorous pieces, aimed at poking fun at some typical college, workplace, and neighborhood drama. That’s not to say the pieces are devoid of any deeper meaning, because as described above, they seek to satirize overlooked bits of culture. However, the overarching goal of the Vermillion Comedic Anthology is to entertain readers and provide them much need escape from the stresses of the world.
ContributorsVermillion, Hunter Dane (Author) / Ison, Tara (Thesis director) / Hoyt, Heather (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Inhibitor of growth factor 4 (ING4) is a tumor suppressor of which low expression has been associated with poor patient survival and aggressive tumor progression in breast cancer. ING4 is characterized as a transcription regulator of inflammatory genes. Among the ING4-regulated genes is CXCL10, a chemokine secreted by endothelial cells during normal inflammation response, which induces chemotactic migration of immune cells to the site. High expression of CXCL10 has been implicated in aggressive breast cancer, but the mechanism is not well understood. A potential signaling molecule downstream of Cxcl10 is Janus Kinase 2 (Jak2), a kinase activated in normal immune response. Deregulation of Jak2 is associated with metastasis, immune evasion, and tumor progression in breast cancer. Thus, we hypothesized that the Ing4/Cxcl10/Jak2 axis plays a key role in breast cancer progression. We first investigated whether Cxcl10 affected breast cancer cell migration. We also investigated whether Cxcl10-mediated migration is dependent on ING4 expression levels. We utilized genetically engineered MDAmb231 breast cancer cells with a CRISPR/Cas9 ING4-knockout construct or a viral ING4 overexpression construct. We performed Western blot analysis to confirm Ing4 expression. Cell migration was assessed using Boyden Chamber assay with or without exogenous Cxcl10 treatment. The results showed that in the presence of Cxcl10, ING4-deficient cells had a two-fold increase in migration as compared to the vector controls, suggesting Ing4 inhibits Cxcl10-induced migration. These findings support our hypothesis that ING4-deficient tumor cells have increased migration when Cxcl10 signaling is present in breast cancer. These results implicate Ing4 is a key regulator of a chemokine-induced tumor migration. Our future plan includes evaluation of Jak2 as an intermediate signaling molecule in Cxcl10/Ing4 pathway. Therapeutic implications of these findings are targeting Cxcl10 and/or Jak2 may be effective in treating ING4-deficient aggressive breast cancer.
ContributorsArnold, Emily (Author) / Kim, Suwon (Thesis director) / Blattman, Joseph (Thesis director) / Mason, Hugh (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Emission Spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the identification of mineralogical samples and has been used for decades in labs to study the geology of Earth and Mars. However, the instruments needed to make these measurements are large, expensive and sensitive pieces of equipment that are too cumbersome to use in the field. There are some commercial products that attempt to work in the field, however they perform this task poorly, often resulting in limited applications, poor performance or not being truly portable. My thesis utilizes the TES family of planetary instruments as a source of inspiration for creating a truly portable Fourier Transform InfraRed spectrometer. From this initial design phase, it appears that it is possible to build an instrument with vastly improved capabilities over the current systems on the market. This roughly 12 inch by 7 inch by 8 inch device with a 3-inch diameter telescope is capable of achieving a SNR of over 1000 during a 5 minute scan of a sample allowing for 5 sigma (99.99994% Confidence) identification of 1% spectral features from 5 um to >60 um making this instrument a one of a kind device with high application potential, not only for field geologist but for the future of manned exploration of space. Currently an accurate measurement of costs is not available, however with more development and optimization a total cost of around $50K is feasible while still maintaining the same performance characteristics. If the costs can fall within an acceptable range, this device will not only be technically impressible but viable from a financial standpoint as well.
ContributorsFagan, Ryan Alexander (Author) / Christensen, Phil (Thesis director) / Ruff, Steve (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05