Matching Items (1,903)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

134327-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is a genetically distinct subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) that was driven to the brink of extinction as a result of human persecution. The wolf is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and a recovery program is underway in

The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is a genetically distinct subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) that was driven to the brink of extinction as a result of human persecution. The wolf is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and a recovery program is underway in Arizona and New Mexico to restore its population. However, the wolf is struggling to recover due to high mortality, which is a result of continued human hostility toward it. This thesis examines historical and current human attitudes toward the wolf and the implications that they have had on the extermination and recovery of the subspecies. An overview is given of wolf biology, the history of wolf extermination and recovery, and recent events relating to the recovery of the wolf. Negative impacts on ranching, hunting, and human safety are the main reasons for opposition toward wolves and wolf recovery; these concerns are analyzed, and solutions to them are proposed, with the goal of addressing them while fostering non-lethal coexistence with the wolf. In addition, opposition to wolves and wolf recovery is tied in with larger socio-political issues and is influenced by the representation of the wolf in culture; these issues in the context of wolves are also analyzed.
ContributorsLenk, Heather Nicole (Author) / Smith, Andrew (Thesis director) / Minteer, Ben (Committee member) / Brown, David E. (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
135365-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This study focused on the connection between the EnvZ/OmpR two-component regulatory system and the iron homeostasis system in Escherichia coli, specifically how a mutant form of EnvZ11/OmpR is able to reduce the expression of fepA::lacZ, a reporter gene fusion in E. coli. FepA is one of several outer membrane siderophore

This study focused on the connection between the EnvZ/OmpR two-component regulatory system and the iron homeostasis system in Escherichia coli, specifically how a mutant form of EnvZ11/OmpR is able to reduce the expression of fepA::lacZ, a reporter gene fusion in E. coli. FepA is one of several outer membrane siderophore receptors that allow extracellular siderophores bound to iron to enter the cells to power various biological processes. Previous studies have shown that in E. coli cells that expressed a mutant allele of envZ, called envZ11, which led to altered expression of various iron genes including down regulation of fepA::lacZ. The wild type EnvZ/OmpR system is not considered to regulate iron genes, but because these envz11 strains had downregulated fepA::lacZ, this study was undertaken to understand the connection and mechanisms of this downregulation. A large number of Lac+ revertants were obtained from the B32-2483 strain (envz11 and fepA::lacZ) and 7 Lac+ revertants that had reversion mutations not directly correcting the envZ11 allele were further characterized. With P1 phage transduction genetic mapping that involved moving a kanamycin resistance marker linked to fepA::lacZ, two Lac+ revertants were found to have their reversion mutations in the fepA promoter region, while the other five revertants had their mutations mapping outside the fepA region. These two revertants underwent DNA sequencing and found to carry two different single base pair mutations in two different locations of the fepA promoter region. Each one is in the Fur repressor binding region, but one also may have affected the Shine-Dalgarno region involved in translation initiation. All 7 reveratants underwent beta-galactosidase assays to measure fepA::lacZ expression. The two revertants that had mutations in the fepA promoter region had significantly increased fepA activity, with the revertant with the Shine-Dalgarno mutation having the most elevated fepA expression. The other 5 revertants that did not map in the fepA region had fepA expression elevated to the same level as that found in the wild type EnvZ/OmpR background. The data suggest that the negative effect of envZ11 can be overcome by multiple mechanisms, including directly correcting the envZ11 allele or changing the fepA promoter region.
ContributorsKalinkin, Victor Arkady (Co-author) / Misra, Rajeev (Co-author, Thesis director) / Mason, Hugh (Committee member) / Foy, Joseph (Committee member) / Biomedical Informatics Program (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135367-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
My passion on the importance of oral health began when I was four years old with the traumatic experience of witnessing my grandmother, my idol, with a toothless smile without her dentures in. At present, I have been a dental assistant for five years, and have heard of similar stories

My passion on the importance of oral health began when I was four years old with the traumatic experience of witnessing my grandmother, my idol, with a toothless smile without her dentures in. At present, I have been a dental assistant for five years, and have heard of similar stories of people struggling with maintaining oral hygiene and having access to oral health care, including: family members, friends, patients, coworkers, and even Arizona State University faculty. Since the abolishment of emergency dental services in Arizona's Health Care Cost Containment System, dental related oral health care rates have jumped incrementally. In addition Arizona has created a dental desert, because dentists are not setting up their practices in the rural areas of the Valley, due to wanting to generate the most amount of income. Studies have also shown that dentists feel inept at treating ethnically diverse patients as well as patients from lower socioeconomic classes. These problems create a myriad of mental effects and physical ailments on the patient that are not limited to the oral cavity. In this paper, these issues in oral health care were studied along with their effects, including recommendations for resolutions.
ContributorsTaylor, Janine Marie (Author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Ili, Joan (Committee member) / School for the Future of Innovation in Society (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135369-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Sex trafficking is an issue that is prevalent in the United States, including in Arizona. The Catholic Charities Diversion Program in Phoenix seeks to rehabilitate adults who have been involved in prostitution. The aim of this paper was to test three pilot interventions to address stress experienced by the program

Sex trafficking is an issue that is prevalent in the United States, including in Arizona. The Catholic Charities Diversion Program in Phoenix seeks to rehabilitate adults who have been involved in prostitution. The aim of this paper was to test three pilot interventions to address stress experienced by the program clients through three different techniques which was given in a workshop format. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), and yoga and meditation are the three types of stress reduction techniques that have been studied in previous research and were pilot tested with adult sex-trafficked victims. This particular sections discusses the benefits of DMT and the results obtained after teaching sex-trafficked victims this therapy. The results of the pilot studies found that all three techniques reduced levels of stress significantly, and that they want further testing.
ContributorsKhanal, Garima (Co-author) / Somayaji, Vallari (Co-author) / Satapathy, Nikita (Co-author) / Sepowitz, Dominique Roe (Thesis director) / Graff, Sarah (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135370-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Sex trafficking is an issue that is prevalent in the United States, including in Arizona. The Catholic Charities Diversion Program in Phoenix seeks to rehabilitate adults who have been involved in prostitution. The aim of this paper was to test three pilot interventions to address stress experienced by the program

Sex trafficking is an issue that is prevalent in the United States, including in Arizona. The Catholic Charities Diversion Program in Phoenix seeks to rehabilitate adults who have been involved in prostitution. The aim of this paper was to test three pilot interventions to address stress experienced by the program clients through three different techniques that were given in workshop format. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dance Movement Therapy, and yoga and meditation are the three types of stress reduction techniques that have been studied in previous research and were pilot tested with adult sex trafficking victims. The results of the pilot studies and all three techniques reduced levels of stress significantly, and they warrant future testing.
ContributorsSatapathy, Nikita (Co-author) / Khanal, Garima (Co-author) / Somayaji, Vallari (Co-author) / Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique (Thesis director) / Graff, Sarah (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135372-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This thesis examines Endgame, a gaming themed bar and restaurant located in the heart of Tempe, Arizona on Mill Avenue. The business serves regular bar fare and offers a wide selection of video games for its customers to play and enjoy. Recently Endgame recognized that it was unsatisfied with its

This thesis examines Endgame, a gaming themed bar and restaurant located in the heart of Tempe, Arizona on Mill Avenue. The business serves regular bar fare and offers a wide selection of video games for its customers to play and enjoy. Recently Endgame recognized that it was unsatisfied with its current revenue stream, prompting this investigative study. Upon completing this project, three business problems that are limiting Endgame's revenue growth were identified. The issues identified were: food sales, visibility/access, and alcohol sales. To better understand each of these issues a study was conducted in the form of ethnography research and a survey was distributed to Endgame's target market. Two instances of observational research were conducted and a survey was distributed to 400+ students in the W. P. Carey School of Business. The data collected revealed underlying sentiments about Endgame's food/beverage service and issues related to locating the bar. This investigation revealed that ordering food and beverages at Endgame is difficult and not a straight forward process. This led to a set of recommendations related to creating an efficient and simple ordering process. The study also showed that Endgame (which is on the second floor of a building) lacks the appropriate signage to indicate its location. Using this information, recommendations were made for Endgame to create additional signage near stairs and elevators to indicate their location. The research also revealed a general lack of consumer awareness in relation to alcoholic beverages that contributed to low sales. This led to a strategy to revitalize Endgame's marketing campaign and a redesign of their beverage menu. Outside of the three business problems found during observational research, several other areas were examined in the survey at the request of Endgame's management. These areas revealed additional understandings into consumer behavior and feelings towards Endgame. These customer insights along with the recommendations given in this paper will be used by Endgame to increase their overall business revenues.
ContributorsPaplham, Tyler James (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Mokwa, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135375-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Sex trafficking is an issue that is prevalent in the United States, including in Arizona. The Catholic Charities Diversion Program in Phoenix seeks to rehabilitate women who were involved in prostitution. The aim of this paper was to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through three different techniques, which will

Sex trafficking is an issue that is prevalent in the United States, including in Arizona. The Catholic Charities Diversion Program in Phoenix seeks to rehabilitate women who were involved in prostitution. The aim of this paper was to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through three different techniques, which will be given in the format of workshops. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), and yoga and meditation are the three types of stress reduction techniques that have been studied in previous papers and will be used for sex-trafficked victims. It is important to combat stress and find stress reducing techniques to improve health and quality of life in an individual. This specific section of the study focuses on yoga and meditation therapy and how it helps to reduce stress. The results showed that all three techniques, including yoga and meditation, reduced levels of stress significantly, thereby giving them a tool to use on their own to improve their health, and that they can be further tested in a longitudinal study to examine the reduction of PTSD symptoms over time.
ContributorsSomayaji, Vallari (Co-author) / Khanal, Garima (Co-author) / Satapathy, Nikita (Co-author) / Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique (Thesis director) / Graff, Sarah (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135387-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
For this thesis, the authors would like to create a hypothetical Private Equity Real Estate Investment firm that focuses on creating value for partners by taking an opportunistic approach to acquiring under-performing urban multi-family properties with large upside potential for investing. The project will focus on both the market analysis

For this thesis, the authors would like to create a hypothetical Private Equity Real Estate Investment firm that focuses on creating value for partners by taking an opportunistic approach to acquiring under-performing urban multi-family properties with large upside potential for investing. The project will focus on both the market analysis and financial modeling associated with investment strategy and transactions. There is a substantial amount of complexity within commercial real estate and this thesis seeks to offer an accurate and comprehensive documentary of the process, while simplifying it for everyday readers. Additionally, there are a significant amount of risk factors associated with investment decisions, so the best practices from the industry documented in this manuscript are valuable tools for successful investing in the future. To gain the most profound and reliable industry knowledge, the authors leveraged the experience of dozens of industry professionals through research and personal interviews. Through careful analysis, the authors were able to ascertain the current economic position in the real estate cycle and to create a plan for future investing. Additionally, they were able to identify and evaluate a specific asset for purchase. As a result, the authors found that multifamily properties are a sound investment for the next two years and that the company should slowly start to shift directions to office and retail in 2018.
ContributorsBacon, David (Co-author) / Soto, Justin (Co-author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135391-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) Program collaborated with a local non-profit organization called Arizona Facts of Life to design a program evaluation for their Youth Leadership Development Training Program, FACTS Curriculum. The purpose of this study was to identify targeted program outcomes, design an assessment to address these outcomes,

The Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) Program collaborated with a local non-profit organization called Arizona Facts of Life to design a program evaluation for their Youth Leadership Development Training Program, FACTS Curriculum. The purpose of this study was to identify targeted program outcomes, design an assessment to address these outcomes, and recommend possible evaluation designs. Arizona Facts of Life will implement the assessment using one of the recommended evaluation designs, and use the results to measure their Youth Leadership Development Training Program's outcomes and demonstrate efficacy.
Created2016-05
135321-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The purpose of this study is to analyze the stereotypes surrounding four wind instruments (flutes, oboes, clarinets, and saxophones), and the ways in which those stereotypes propagate through various levels of musical professionalism in Western culture. In order to determine what these stereotypes might entail, several thousand social media and

The purpose of this study is to analyze the stereotypes surrounding four wind instruments (flutes, oboes, clarinets, and saxophones), and the ways in which those stereotypes propagate through various levels of musical professionalism in Western culture. In order to determine what these stereotypes might entail, several thousand social media and blog posts were analyzed, and direct quotations detailing the perceived stereotypical personality profiles for each of the four instruments were collected. From these, the three most commonly mentioned characteristics were isolated for each of the instrument groups as follows: female gender, femininity, and giggliness for flutists, intelligence, studiousness, and demographics (specifically being an Asian male) for clarinetists, quirkiness, eccentricity, and being seen as a misfit for oboists, and overconfidence, attention-seeking behavior, and coolness for saxophonists. From these traits, a survey was drafted which asked participating college-aged musicians various multiple choice, opinion scale, and short-answer questions that gathered how much they agree or disagree with each trait describing the instrument from which it was derived. Their responses were then analyzed to determine how much correlation existed between the researched characteristics and the opinions of modern musicians. From these results, it was determined that 75% of the traits that were isolated for a particular instrument were, in fact, recognized as being true in the survey data, demonstrating that the stereotypes do exist and seem to be widely recognizable across many age groups, locations, and levels of musical skill. Further, 89% of participants admitted that the instrument they play has a certain stereotype associated with it, but only 38% of people identify with that profile. Overall, it was concluded that stereotypes, which are overwhelmingly negative and gendered by nature, are indeed propagated, but musicians do not appear to want to identify with them, and they reflect a more archaic and immature sense that does not correlate to the trends observed in modern, professional music.
ContributorsAllison, Lauren Nicole (Author) / Bhattacharjya, Nilanjana (Thesis director) / Ankeny, Casey (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05