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Description

Maricopa County, Arizona, anchor to the fastest growing megapolitan area in the United States, is located in a hot desert climate where extreme temperatures are associated with elevated risk of mortality. Continued urbanization in the region will impact atmospheric temperatures and, as a result, potentially affect human health. We aimed

Maricopa County, Arizona, anchor to the fastest growing megapolitan area in the United States, is located in a hot desert climate where extreme temperatures are associated with elevated risk of mortality. Continued urbanization in the region will impact atmospheric temperatures and, as a result, potentially affect human health. We aimed to quantify the number of excess deaths attributable to heat in Maricopa County based on three future urbanization and adaptation scenarios and multiple exposure variables.

Two scenarios (low and high growth projections) represent the maximum possible uncertainty range associated with urbanization in central Arizona, and a third represents the adaptation of high-albedo cool roof technology. Using a Poisson regression model, we related temperature to mortality using data spanning 1983–2007. Regional climate model simulations based on 2050-projected urbanization scenarios for Maricopa County generated distributions of temperature change, and from these predicted changes future excess heat-related mortality was estimated. Subject to urbanization scenario and exposure variable utilized, projections of heat-related mortality ranged from a decrease of 46 deaths per year (− 95%) to an increase of 339 deaths per year (+ 359%).

Projections based on minimum temperature showed the greatest increase for all expansion and adaptation scenarios and were substantially higher than those for daily mean temperature. Projections based on maximum temperature were largely associated with declining mortality. Low-growth and adaptation scenarios led to the smallest increase in predicted heat-related mortality based on mean temperature projections. Use of only one exposure variable to project future heat-related deaths may therefore be misrepresentative in terms of direction of change and magnitude of effects. Because urbanization-induced impacts can vary across the diurnal cycle, projections of heat-related health outcomes that do not consider place-based, time-varying urban heat island effects are neglecting essential elements for policy relevant decision-making.

ContributorsHondula, David M. (Author) / Georgescu, Matei (Author) / Balling, Jr., Robert C. (Author)
Created2014-04-28
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Description

Preventing heat-associated morbidity and mortality is a public health priority in Maricopa County, Arizona (United States). The objective of this project was to evaluate Maricopa County cooling centers and gain insight into their capacity to provide relief for the public during extreme heat events. During the summer of 2014, 53

Preventing heat-associated morbidity and mortality is a public health priority in Maricopa County, Arizona (United States). The objective of this project was to evaluate Maricopa County cooling centers and gain insight into their capacity to provide relief for the public during extreme heat events. During the summer of 2014, 53 cooling centers were evaluated to assess facility and visitor characteristics. Maricopa County staff collected data by directly observing daily operations and by surveying managers and visitors. The cooling centers in Maricopa County were often housed within community, senior, or religious centers, which offered various services for at least 1500 individuals daily. Many visitors were unemployed and/or homeless. Many learned about a cooling center by word of mouth or by having seen the cooling center’s location. The cooling centers provide a valuable service and reach some of the region’s most vulnerable populations. This project is among the first to systematically evaluate cooling centers from a public health perspective and provides helpful insight to community leaders who are implementing or improving their own network of cooling centers.

ContributorsBerisha, Vjollca (Author) / Hondula, David M. (Author) / Roach, Matthew (Author) / White, Jessica R. (Author) / McKinney, Benita (Author) / Bentz, Darcie (Author) / Mohamed, Ahmed (Author) / Uebelherr, Joshua (Author) / Goodin, Kate (Author)
Created2016-09-23
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Description

Five immunocompetent C57BL/6-cBrd/cBrd/Cr (albino C57BL/6) mice were injected with GL261-luc2 cells, a cell line sharing characteristics of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The mice were imaged using magnetic resonance (MR) at five separate time points to characterize growth and development of the tumor. After 25 days, the final tumor volumes of

Five immunocompetent C57BL/6-cBrd/cBrd/Cr (albino C57BL/6) mice were injected with GL261-luc2 cells, a cell line sharing characteristics of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The mice were imaged using magnetic resonance (MR) at five separate time points to characterize growth and development of the tumor. After 25 days, the final tumor volumes of the mice varied from 12 mm3 to 62 mm3, even though mice were inoculated from the same tumor cell line under carefully controlled conditions. We generated hypotheses to explore large variances in final tumor size and tested them with our simple reaction-diffusion model in both a 3-dimensional (3D) finite difference method and a 2-dimensional (2D) level set method. The parameters obtained from a best-fit procedure, designed to yield simulated tumors as close as possible to the observed ones, vary by an order of magnitude between the three mice analyzed in detail. These differences may reflect morphological and biological variability in tumor growth, as well as errors in the mathematical model, perhaps from an oversimplification of the tumor dynamics or nonidentifiability of parameters. Our results generate parameters that match other experimental in vitro and in vivo measurements. Additionally, we calculate wave speed, which matches with other rat and human measurements.

ContributorsRutter, Erica (Author) / Stepien, Tracy (Author) / Anderies, Barrett (Author) / Plasencia, Jonathan (Author) / Woolf, Eric C. (Author) / Scheck, Adrienne C. (Author) / Turner, Gregory H. (Author) / Liu, Qingwei (Author) / Frakes, David (Author) / Kodibagkar, Vikram (Author) / Kuang, Yang (Author) / Preul, Mark C. (Author) / Kostelich, Eric (Author) / College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2017-05-31
Description

With the recent rise in opioid overdose and death1<br/><br/>, chronic opioid therapy (COT) programs using<br/>Center of Disease Control (CDC) guidelines have been implemented across the United States8<br/>.<br/>Primary care clinicians at Mayo Clinic initiated a COT program in September of 2017, during the<br/>use of Cerner Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Study

With the recent rise in opioid overdose and death1<br/><br/>, chronic opioid therapy (COT) programs using<br/>Center of Disease Control (CDC) guidelines have been implemented across the United States8<br/>.<br/>Primary care clinicians at Mayo Clinic initiated a COT program in September of 2017, during the<br/>use of Cerner Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Study metrics included provider<br/>satisfaction and perceptions regarding opioid prescription. Mayo Clinic transitioned its EHR<br/>system from Cerner to Epic in October 2018. This study aims to understand if provider perceptions<br/>about COT changed after the EHR transition and the reasons underlying those perceptions.

ContributorsPonnapalli, Sravya (Author) / Murcko, Anita (Thesis director) / Wallace, Mark (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

This paper is regarding the nutritional choices college students in Arizona choose. This is based on many factors, but ranks and investigates why students choose this one factor. Students value time over all other factors, money, health, and location.

ContributorsJohnson, Ashleigh (Author) / Kingsbury, Jeffrey (Thesis director) / Culbertson, Jade (Committee member) / Sealey, Joshua (Committee member) / Swerzenski, Jared (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

Natural gas development in the Northern Appalachian region has skyrocketed dramatically over the past decade. Correspondingly to the unprecedented growth rate of the natural gas industry, population health risks have shifted dramatically in response to both aerial and water pollution. With energy as a key input in all sectors of

Natural gas development in the Northern Appalachian region has skyrocketed dramatically over the past decade. Correspondingly to the unprecedented growth rate of the natural gas industry, population health risks have shifted dramatically in response to both aerial and water pollution. With energy as a key input in all sectors of Appalachian life, the Pennsylvania region serves as a fascinating case study where clusters of unconventional gas drilling wells intersect varying population densities and governing laws to create different levels of health risks. Studies have found that horizontal hydraulic fracking corresponds to an increased risk of upper respiratory symptoms (URS), low birth weights, premature births, and certain cancers (White et al., 2009). Also, zoning and local planning laws are policy tools local governments can use to directly influence community wellbeing (Diez-Roux, 2011). This study will focus on the spatial relationship between upper respiratory symptoms (URS), a key volatile health benchmark, and the zoning/planning laws that the Oil and Natural Gas Industry must adhere to. Our project seeks to provide a preliminary understanding of the interplay between different natural gas zoning laws and the resulting health implication risks that appear in the Marcellus shale region of Pennsylvania. This is necessary to appropriately regulate and monitor hydraulic fracking. To get a better understanding of this phenomenon, spatial autocorrelation and analysis of variance statistics are integrated to generate a surface-level understanding of areas impacted by natural gas development. To guide the creation of our models, we geographically process the unconventional well locations, upper respiratory symptom health utilization, and zoning law data to develop insights that policymakers can take into consideration. Regionally, natural gas has become an integrated part of the energy sector and a driver of local economic development. The patterns drawn from this assessment provide a novel way of understanding the population health risks posed by different zoning ordinance models.

ContributorsHernandez, Aidan (Author) / York, Abigail (Thesis director) / Schomburg, Madeline (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor, Contributor) / Thunderbird School of Global Management (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

The influence of exercise on cognitive function is an important topic. This study examines the effects of different interventions on executive functioning, specifically on cognitive planning, which is a sub-category of executive function, in adults with Down syndrome. Research has shown that an acute bout of Assisted Cycle Therapy improved

The influence of exercise on cognitive function is an important topic. This study examines the effects of different interventions on executive functioning, specifically on cognitive planning, which is a sub-category of executive function, in adults with Down syndrome. Research has shown that an acute bout of Assisted Cycle Therapy improved manual motor functioning, cognitive planning, and information processing in adolescents with Down syndrome but there is a lack of research when it comes to resistance training. Fourteen adults with Down syndrome completed acute sessions of Assisted Cycle Therapy, Resistance Training, and No Training. Cognitive planning was measured by the Tower of London test. The results show that cognitive planning can be improved following Assisted Cycle Therapy. An increase in cognitive planning was also present in the No Training group which may be a result of cognitive stimulating games that were played. In conclusion, this study suggests that teachers, therapists, etc. that work with adults with DS, should be sure to include a cognitive component in all activities.

ContributorsMyer, Brandon Michael (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Arnold, Nathanial (Committee member) / Morgan, Don (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

Social media is rapidly changing the way we view the world and live our lives, serving as an online space for connection, creative expression, and inspiration. However, the ever-evolving world of photo editing apps combined with popular health and fitness content on social media sites can be a dangerous combination

Social media is rapidly changing the way we view the world and live our lives, serving as an online space for connection, creative expression, and inspiration. However, the ever-evolving world of photo editing apps combined with popular health and fitness content on social media sites can be a dangerous combination for young women’s self esteem and body image. This thesis defense explores the ways in which young women are influenced by content that they interact with online. The goal of this project was to provide a general analysis of how fitness and diet-promoting culture on Instagram is affecting young women’s behaviors and perceptions of themselves with an emphasis on the local ASU community. A literature review was conducted as well as an informal survey in order to collect data on the topic and formulate suggestions for alleviating these issues.

ContributorsMahlfeldt, Julie Anne (Author) / Johnson, Melinda (Thesis director) / Pearl, Julia (Committee member) / Dixon, Kathleen (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

Agenesis of the corpus callosum is the lack of the development of the corpus callosum. This condition can lead to impairments in language processing, epilepsy, and emotion and social functioning, but many individuals with this condition do not show any of these impairments. The present study investigated the connectivity of

Agenesis of the corpus callosum is the lack of the development of the corpus callosum. This condition can lead to impairments in language processing, epilepsy, and emotion and social functioning, but many individuals with this condition do not show any of these impairments. The present study investigated the connectivity of language and sensorimotor networks within an individual with agenesis of the corpus callosum using resting-state fMRI. The individual’s results were compared to those of neurotypical control subjects. It was hypothesized that the overall interhemispheric functional connectivity would be less than that of a control group in bilateral language networks, but the intrahemispheric connectivity, particularly within the sensorimotor network, would show greater functional connectivity. The results revealed significantly weaker functional connectivity in the individual with agenesis of the corpus callosum within the right ventral stream compared to the control group. There were no other significant inter or intrahemispheric differences in the functional connectivity of the language and sensorimotor networks. These findings lead us to conclude that the right hemisphere’s ventral stream perhaps relies upon connections with the left hemisphere’s language networks to maintain its typical functionality. The results of this study support the idea that, in the case of corpus callosum agenesis, the right language network may contribute differently to language processes than in neurotypical controls.

ContributorsWold, Sadie Beus (Author) / Rogalsky, Corianne (Thesis director) / Azuma, Tamiko (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

The purpose of this project is to explore the historical context and current state of prison hospice programs in the US. This objective was accomplished through an extensive review and synthesis of the relevant literature pertaining to prison hospice programs in the US. The historical increase of the incarceration rate

The purpose of this project is to explore the historical context and current state of prison hospice programs in the US. This objective was accomplished through an extensive review and synthesis of the relevant literature pertaining to prison hospice programs in the US. The historical increase of the incarceration rate beginning in America during the 1980’s has led to the development of more elderly prisoners than ever before in the US. As prisoners age in the US correctional system, they experience faster-than-average health decline. Mass incarceration has placed incredible strain on the correctional system to provide healthcare to the medically complex elderly inmate population. This project proposes that some of this systematic strain may be alleviated through the action of prison hospice programs. Prison hospices replace unnecessary industrial medical interventions with personalized comfort care measures and the unique service of inmate volunteers. This approach to medical care at the end of life has become the standard of care for the free population but is slower to emerge in the prison context. This project asserts that the dying US inmate population should be offered the right to a dignified death through equitable access to hospice services.

ContributorsBatzli, Elisabeth Kathleen (Author) / Sturgess, Jessica (Thesis director) / Hamilton, Gillian (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05