Matching Items (280)
Description
The premise of the embodied cognition hypothesis is that cognitive processes require emotion, sensory, and motor systems in the brain, rather than using arbitrary symbols divorced from sensorimotor systems. The hypothesis explains many of the mechanisms of mental simulation or imagination and how they facilitate comprehension of concepts. Some forms of embodied processing can be measured using electroencephalography (EEG), in a particular waveform known as the mu rhythm (8-13 Hz) in the sensorimotor cortex of the brain. Power in the mu band is suppressed (or de-synchronized) when an individual performs an action, as well as when the individual imagines performing the action, thus mu suppression measures embodied imagination. An important question however is whether the sensorimotor cortex involvement while reading, as measured by mu suppression, is part of the comprehension of what is read or if it is arises after comprehension has taken place. To answer this question, participants first took the Gates-MacGinitie reading comprehension test. Then, mu-suppression was measured while participants read experimental materials. The degree of mu-suppression while reading verbs correlated .45 with their score on the Gates-MacGinitie test. This correlation strongly suggests that the sensorimotor system involvement while reading action sentences is part of the comprehension process rather than being an aftereffect.
ContributorsMarino, Annette Webb (Author) / Glenberg, Arthur (Thesis director) / Presson, Clark (Committee member) / Blais, Chris (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Vitamin D, Klotho, and FOXO3 have all been linked to have anti-aging and anti-cancerous effects as separate pathways. Specifically, mice with knockout Klotho in their genes have displayed signs of premature aging, humans who are vitamin D deficient have been shown to develop cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairments, and those who have displayed overexpression of FOXO3 have shown to have a longer lifespan. Here we took each pathway and attempted to formulate a feedback mechanism loop linking all three separate pathways. We propose that vitamin D levels modulate klotho activity, including the expression of the s-klotho and m-klotho isoforms. Moreover, the anti-oxidation transcription factor FOXO3 is also thought to participate in crosstalk with VDR signaling. Through the connection between 1,25D and Klotho, we probed at their interactions with FOXO3 signaling in kidney and colon cells, and proposed that vitamin D and klotho may reduce oxidative stress and suppress the onset of epithelial cancers through it effects on FOXO3. Results showed a strong support for the cooperation between FOXO3 and 1,25D to stimulate both superoxide dismutase (a FOXO3 response element) and XDR3/ROC (vitamin D response elements). This cooperation was mostly seen in embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) and not in the colon cancer cells (HCT116), which has led to the conclusion that vitamin D and FOXO3 cooperation mainly occurs in kidney tissue and/or in tissue that is not yet been overtaken by cancer. Differences in the Klotho isoforms were seen when measuring FOXO3 and vitamin D activity, but experiments manipulating other components will need to be conducted to further understand the function of Klotho in maintaining reactive oxygenated species levels.
ContributorsSandoval, Ruby (Author) / Jurutka, Peter (Thesis director) / Sandrin, Todd R. (Committee member) / Heck, Michael (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Familiar Places: Ghosts of a Memory is a thesis exhibition, presented in Gallery 100 in Tempe, AZ, accompanied by a written investigation into the function of photography in the home and art. This project is a diaristic photographic record including images of myself, my family, my environment, and mementos or objects that embody family history. I am interested in what we hold onto to keep memories and create our "home". I moved frequently growing up so my sense of home became firmly grounded in family, tradition, and the things we kept close, making home a practiced space not a place. This thesis project explores how material culture, including photographs, is used in creating the space of the home. Questions regarding the nature of the photograph as a memory keeping device or memory trigger is investigated to understand their usefulness and accuracy to the memory. A deeper examination of the difference between an artist's photograph of family and home versus the family photograph is discussed and presented by utilizing installations in the exhibition. The photographs can be seen at www.gwendolynanne.com
ContributorsDavies, Gwendolyn Anne (Author) / Smith, Stephen Mark (Thesis director) / Danh, Binh (Committee member) / Loebenberg, Abby (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
In an industrialized world that relies heavily on low cost production and packaging produced without a viable end-of-life strategy, the accumulation of non-biodegradable plastics in the environment and particularly the oceans today is an urgent problem of global proportions. Plastics pose a significant threat to marine mammals due to mistaken ingestion as well as potential release of plasticizers and other chemicals. However, the interactions and consequences of ingestion of oceanic plastics by marine mammals have not been thoroughly studied. In this literature review, information regarding plastic ingestion by marine mammals was compiled to estimate the magnitude of adverse impacts and identify major knowledge gaps. Using comprehensive Boolean search terms in Web of Science of literature published between 1960 and 2020, it was determined that there were large discrepancies in the amount of research conducted among 10 different categories of marine mammals, with cetaceans being the primary focus group of most studies (70.3). In addition, different areas of the world, such as southern Africa, were found to have a disproportionately small number of studies on plastic impacts on marine mammalian life in their surrounding marine waters. Differences were found in the amount of plastics ingested by marine animals and a hypothesis of explaining these observations was formulated, attributing potential ingestion of plastic to the debris resembling different food sources in the mammals’ diets as well as different feeding mechanisms.
ContributorsFredette-Roman, Cassidy (Author) / Polidoro, Beth (Thesis director) / Rolsky, Charles (Committee member) / Halden, Rolf (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
Description
The purpose of this thesis project is to analyze the impact that patient death has on long-term care providers. This study draws upon my own experience working as a licensed nursing assistant in a long-term care facility and also uses a qualitative analysis of six semi-structured interviews with other nursing assistants and hospice volunteers. With patient death being an unavoidable part of working in this area of healthcare, I explore how these care providers cope with losing their patients and the effectiveness of these coping mechanisms. Some strategies found that aided in coping with grief included staying detached from patients, being distracted by other aspects of the job, receiving support from co-workers, family members and/or supervisors, and having a religious outlook on what happens following death. In addition to these, I argue that care providers also utilize the unconscious defense mechanism of repression to avoid their feelings of grief and guilt. Repressing the grief and emotions that come along with patient death can protect the individual from additional pain in order for them to continue to do their difficult jobs. Being distracted by other patients also aids in the repression process by avoiding personal feelings temporarily. I also look into factors that have been found to affect the level of grief including the caregiver’s closeness to the patient, level of preparedness for the death, and first experience of losing a patient. Ultimately, I show that the common feelings accompanied by patient death (sadness, anger and stress) and the occurrence of burnout are harmful symptoms of the repression taking place.
ContributorsMasterson, Kaitlin (Author) / Loebenberg, Abby (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This study examines the utility of diagnostic CT scans as sources of data to quantify facial growth in children. Subadults often suffer facial trauma arising from a variety of circumstances. Pediatric surgeons are then confronted with devising surgical pre- and post-operative strategies that present numerous complications. One of these involves predicting how specific areas of a child's face will change with time. The proliferation of CT scans use in pre-operative planning throughout healthcare provides potential data for addressing many concerns, including those involving facial growth. To add to the burgeoning body of literature focusing on facial growth and provide insight anatomical variation this study used data derived from CT scans from Phoenix Children's Hospital. Quantitative data derived from CTs were used to examine normative growth and develop predictive equations that surgeons can use to visualize facial change for males and female patients.
ContributorsLee, Isaac Jet (Author) / Ferry, Lara (Thesis director) / Falsetti, Anthony (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation is a crucial piece of information to be established to be established in any death investigation. Though a variety of methods to estimate PMI exists, not all of them are always able to work. Forensic microbiology is attempting to help bridge this gap by developing methods to predict PMI with microbial communities. The change in the microbiome present on a body after death is a predictable patter that can be used almost like a clock. Existing studies thus far have shown a consistent pattern of what the composition of the microbiome on a body is during key stages of decomposition. However, research has yet to be conducted on whether these patterns persist in an arid climate, such as the desert, or during decomposition within a sealed container. Here, we aimed to begin filling this knowledge gap by observing the microbiomes present on pigs decomposing inside of buckets in the Arizona climate. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla detected with Firmicutes primarily being found on the skin. Firmicutes abundance decreased about half-way through decomposition. Xanthomonadaceae appeared part way through decomposition and Clostridiaceae was detected in all sequenced samples. Though the initial results match the trends established in previous research, further testing is required to determine if this result is reproducible and reliable.
ContributorsMiller, Amber (Author) / Parrott, Jonathan (Thesis director) / Marshall, Pamela (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This thesis proposes and explores an adapted approach to music recommendation and
event promotion, aimed at providing streaming users more accessibility to local artists,
performers, and events. By focusing specifically on the enrichment of local music ecosystems,
this research is undertaken with the express interest of local music artists, venues, and
streamers in mind. It seeks to serve a multifaceted goal: revitalizing local music scenes by
making them more visible and accessible through streaming platforms; empowering local music artists by providing them with a broader audience and new opportunities for engagement; reconnecting artists with the community, thereby fostering a stronger sense of local identity and cultural cohesion; and providing economic benefit to local venues through increased attendance and engagement. In essence, this thesis intends to harness the power of streaming platforms to rekindle the localized relationships between listeners, artists, and venues, thereby contributing to the renaissance, sustainability, and vibrancy of local music cultures. These outcomes will be achieved through a two-pronged theoretical and practical approach, incorporating Proof of Concept (PoC) algorithm with the Business Model Canvas
(BMC). A Proof of Concept recommendation algorithm was developed as a tool to empirically demonstrate the viability of the proposed strategies. This prototype music recommendation
algorithm was designed and tested with the explicit goal of creating a novel music recommendation algorithm that biased users towards exposure of smaller local artists and
events.
ContributorsBradley, Robert (Author) / Clarkin, Michael (Co-author) / Ellini, Andre (Co-author) / Mancenido, Michelle (Thesis director) / Sirugudi, Kumar (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
In an international field study, this project identified two primary objectives. The first was to familiarize the researcher with the environment, methods, and techniques used in the Costa Rica wildlife projects of ProCAT. After successful mastery of the first, the second objective was to use that knowledge to gather preliminary acoustic data in the southern region of Costa Rica. The data was analyzed for call type to identify species represented on the recordings. This information can be used to establish a 2024 baseline for avian diversity in these regions. An established baseline of biodiversity at a fixed timepoint enables effective and quantitative measures of change over time for future research and conservation.
ContributorsWalters, Jenna (Author) / Schipper, Jan (Thesis director) / Sellner, Erin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This study determines if principles of embodied cognition can be used to enhance the teaching of self-regulation skills in a sample of preschoolers. The current research replicates Conway and McKinney (2022). In the replication study, 15 participants were recruited at ASU’s Child Study Lab (CSL) for a total of 39 participants (when combined with Conway and McKinney) ages three to six, across the entire experiment. The combined results of both the original study and the replicated study are reported. The participants were matched on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) scores and one from each pair was randomly placed in the embodied group and the other was placed in the traditional group. The structure of the experiment had two phases, with four lesson plans each; the first focuses on sequential thought, and the second focuses on impulse control and how that could relate to emotions (i.e., self-regulation). Because the sequential thought pattern (First, Next, Last) resembles self-monitoring via impulse control (Stop and Think), we expected the sequential thought pattern to transfer across the phases. In Phase 1 of the experiment, the embodied group received four embodied lesson plans (i.e., with physical manipulable items) and the traditional group received four traditional, two-dimensional style lesson plans (i.e., flipbook with pictures). In Phase 2 of the experiment, each participant received four traditional-style impulse control lesson plans. The hypothesis for this study is that the embodied condition would see an increase in overall net scores in Phase 1 and 2 of the experiment compared to the traditional condition. The researchers conducted a two-way factorial ANOVA to analyze both group pre- and post-test scores. While there was no evidence that the effect of condition, either embodied or traditional, influenced pre- and post-test scores, there was evidence that the participants learned in the experiment. This experiment may need to be modified to have more lesson plans and be replicated with a larger sample size to determine any statistically significant effect.
ContributorsOskowis, Athena (Author) / Glenberg, Arthur (Thesis director) / Kupfer, Anne (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2024-05