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- Creators: School of Life Sciences
- Resource Type: Text
Description
The amphibian pathogen Ambystoma Tigrinum Virus (ATV) has been an important topic of study within the amphibian community since its discovery. ATV threatens many salamander populations across the US, including those in east-central and southeast Arizona. These populations remain at risk since there are no treatments available. In this thesis, a novel method of inactivation is tested to produce a vaccine with the aim of safely eliciting an immune response within the salamander host. This novel form of inactivation has been tested on several human pathogens but has yet to be used on amphibian pathogens. It has the potential to revolutionize our traditional approach to inactivating viruses. After laser treatment, viral plaque assays suggested that inactivated ATV ceased to grow completely, pointing to the possibility of creating a vaccine. Animal challenge trials were conducted with 60 juvenile Ambystoma tigrinum, but surprisingly there was no protective effect from viral inactivation. Further study is needed to clarify why in vitro and in vivo tests of viral inactivation produced contradictory results.
ContributorsVazquez, Luis Ernesto (Author) / Collins, James (Thesis director) / Tsen, Kong-Thon (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Electronic Health Records: Suggestions for Future Use explores how EHRs are currently being used in the clinical setting and in the research setting. This paper provides suggestions for how EHRs should be used in the future, so that patient centered health care is optimized while maintaining efficiency. Additionally, the thesis discusses why privacy is viewed as an innate human right in society as well as why it is specifically valued in the healthcare setting. The value of privacy significantly impacts how EHRs are currently used, and the more automated EHR systems become, the more likely it is that the privacy of patients is threatened. It was concluded that the healthcare industry can improve EHR use in future clinical and research settings, while upholding privacy laws.
ContributorsPhillips, Emily (Co-author) / Waldman, Lauren (Co-author) / Brian, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Mason, Hugh (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
What does it mean to wax a tooth? Creating dental wax-ups is a procedure utilized across the field of dentistry among professionals, lab technicians, and even dental students. The process of waxing a tooth involves many steps, instruments, and knowledge of dental anatomy. To simplify, waxing a tooth involves utilizing dental wax and heat to create a three dimensional model of a specific tooth and its anatomy. This process is often used in education of dental students in an attempt to teach essential skills needed in a dental career. Dental waxing can help students learn specific anatomical differences between teeth and how varying teeth work together aesthetically and functionally (Abdalla 2018). This process involves diving into characteristics of teeth involving heights of contour, convex and concave surfaces, marginal ridges, embrasures, and point angles. Such skills and knowledge, as mentioned by Dr. Ticole Nguyen, were essential in her education at Texas A&M’s Baylor College of Dentistry. More specifically, Dr. Nguyen stated not only does learning how to create wax ups aide students in development of their anatomical understanding, but it also provides opportunities to prepare for future procedures such as fillings and creating crowns. When a waxed up tooth is complete, it is referenced as a “working model.” The term working model is not just a term, but carries with it the detail and thought required to create a functioning and visually accurate tooth - a tooth that works (Nguyen 2015).
ContributorsZiegler, Jadyn Dru (Author) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Thesis director) / Sobieraj, Martin (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Brought on by extended survival due to Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy and increased incidence among older adults, the demographic profile of the HIV epidemic has begun to shift towards the aging population. As people living with HIV (PLWH) begin to age and develop multiple comorbidities, their needs are no longer limited to HIV treatment and disease management; they may require aging services similar to those with a negative HIV status. Increased attention has been placed on HIV and aging to assess the unique needs of older PLWH, however, limited research exists on the preparedness of aging services to provide adequate care to this population. This study aims to assess HIV and aging within Maricopa County, where individuals aged 50 years and older account for nearly half the reported HIV/AIDS cases in the county, and 30% of cases in Arizona. Two focus groups – one with older PLWH and another with aging service professionals – were conducted to gather information about existing aging services and the perspectives of older PLWH regarding their growing needs. Older PLWH were found to experience challenges similar to those that have been well-documented in previous studies: most notably, PTSD and other mental health conditions; fear of the future and isolation; HIV status disclosure and stigma; and economics and financial security. An anonymous survey was developed in conjunction with Aunt Rita’s Foundation to evaluate Maricopa County aging services; it was discovered that providers lack experience with HIV and admit deficiencies in their preparation to address the age-related concerns of older PLWH. The results show that the majority of providers were supportive of offering care to older PLWH and expressed interest in improving their preparedness. Future research is necessary to obtain perspectives from additional aging services in Maricopa County and word towards the development of an aging services directory to connect older PLWH to care.
ContributorsLayon, Sarah (Author) / Jacobs, Bertram (Thesis director) / Coon, David (Committee member) / Spencer, Glen (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This research project investigated known and novel differential genetic variants and their associated molecular pathways involved in Type II diabetes mellitus for the purpose of improving diagnosis and treatment methods. The goal of this investigation was to 1) identify the genetic variants and SNPs in Type II diabetes to develop a gene regulatory pathway, and 2) utilize this pathway to determine suitable drug therapeutics for prevention and treatment. Using a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), a set of 1000 gene identifiers from a Mayo Clinic database was analyzed to determine the most significant genetic variants related to insulin signaling pathways involved in Type II Diabetes. The following genes were identified: NRAS, KRAS, PIK3CA, PDE3B, TSC1, AKT3, SOS1, NEU1, PRKAA2, AMPK, and ACC. In an extensive literature review and cross-analysis with Kegg and Reactome pathway databases, novel SNPs located on these gene variants were identified and used to determine suitable drug therapeutics for treatment. Overall, understanding how genetic mutations affect target gene function related to Type II Diabetes disease pathology is crucial to the development of effective diagnosis and treatment. This project provides new insight into the molecular basis of the Type II Diabetes, serving to help untangle the regulatory complexity of the disease and aid in the advancement of diagnosis and treatment. Keywords: Type II Diabetes mellitus, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, genetic variants, KEGG Insulin Pathway, gene-regulatory pathway
ContributorsBucklin, Lindsay (Co-author) / Davis, Vanessa (Co-author) / Holechek, Susan (Thesis director) / Wang, Junwen (Committee member) / Nyarige, Verah (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis discusses the complex situation involved in a person’s choice or means to vaccinate
themselves as well as their children. Included is a brief history on vaccines, a section describing
their mechanism of action, as well as information on how the vaccines work within our bodies.
The focus will then turn to the patient’s choice on whether or not to vaccinate themselves or their
child, including factors such as socioeconomic status, education level and their location. Within
this paper are the views of anti-vaccinators, as well as the views of pro-vaccinators and
suggestions on how to reeducate the public. I conclude that the AFIX model is of particular value
in public education: This involves Assessment of immunization coverage, Feedback in
informing providers of their performance, Incentives to help keep them motivated, and eXchange
of information which can be combined with incentives. While the AFIX model has focused on
doctors and nurses in the past, I conclude this model would be most effectively employed with
pharmacists, who see patients more routinely and often have higher levels of trust among the
general public.
themselves as well as their children. Included is a brief history on vaccines, a section describing
their mechanism of action, as well as information on how the vaccines work within our bodies.
The focus will then turn to the patient’s choice on whether or not to vaccinate themselves or their
child, including factors such as socioeconomic status, education level and their location. Within
this paper are the views of anti-vaccinators, as well as the views of pro-vaccinators and
suggestions on how to reeducate the public. I conclude that the AFIX model is of particular value
in public education: This involves Assessment of immunization coverage, Feedback in
informing providers of their performance, Incentives to help keep them motivated, and eXchange
of information which can be combined with incentives. While the AFIX model has focused on
doctors and nurses in the past, I conclude this model would be most effectively employed with
pharmacists, who see patients more routinely and often have higher levels of trust among the
general public.
ContributorsBernal-Fung, Yasmin (Author) / Martin, Thomas (Thesis director) / Morgan, Lawrence (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
DescriptionSulforaphane(SFN)isanisothiocyanate(ITC)derivedfromcruciferousvegetables,suchas
broccoli,thatisgrowinginpopularityforitsantioxidantandanti-inflammatorycapabilities.
Furthermore,SFNhasbeendemonstratedtoimproverenalcancercarcinoma(RCC)treatment
outcomesinconjunctionwithmultipleotherformsoftherapy,whichisespeciallyimportant
consideringRCC’spoortherapeuticoutcomeswithchemotherapy.Theaimofthisstudywasto
determinetheeffectsofSFNonRCC invitro utilizingcellviabilityanalysisandLC/MS-MS
targetedmetabolicprofilingtorevealpathwaysresponsibleforSFN’spossibleenhancementof
chemotherapytreatmentinRCC.CCK-8resultsshowthat15 μMofSFNcausedasignificant(p
<0.05)increaseinRCCproliferation.Kruskal-Wallistestsrevealed16metabolitesinourcell,
and28inthemediumtobesignificant(p<0.05).Anorthogonalpartialleastsquares-discriminant
analysis,OPLS-DA,ofsignificantmetaboliteswasusedtocomparedtreatedandnon-treated
samplesforbothdatasetsandshoweda100%predictiveaccuracy(AUC=1).Enrichment
analysisdeterminedthatatotalof7metabolicpathwaysweresignificantlyenriched(VLCFA
β-oxidation,glutamatemetabolism,theureacycle,ammoniarecycling,glycine/serine,alanine,
andglucose-alaninecycle).Pathwayanalysisshowedhistidinemetabolismtobetheonly
significantlyaffectedpathwaybetweenbothdatasets.SFN-inducedmetaboliccharacteristics
foundinRCCwereconsistentwithknownantioxidantandanti-inflammatorypathways.Ourdata
suggeststhatthetherapeuticmechanismsofSFNarelikelyduetointeractionswithTandNKT
cellsthatprotectthemfromoxidativestress.Futureexperimentsregardingantioxidantresearch
incancershouldbecompletely invivo,asopposedto invitro, inordertomaintainthenatural
physiology of cancer cells in the presence of host immune cells.
broccoli,thatisgrowinginpopularityforitsantioxidantandanti-inflammatorycapabilities.
Furthermore,SFNhasbeendemonstratedtoimproverenalcancercarcinoma(RCC)treatment
outcomesinconjunctionwithmultipleotherformsoftherapy,whichisespeciallyimportant
consideringRCC’spoortherapeuticoutcomeswithchemotherapy.Theaimofthisstudywasto
determinetheeffectsofSFNonRCC invitro utilizingcellviabilityanalysisandLC/MS-MS
targetedmetabolicprofilingtorevealpathwaysresponsibleforSFN’spossibleenhancementof
chemotherapytreatmentinRCC.CCK-8resultsshowthat15 μMofSFNcausedasignificant(p
<0.05)increaseinRCCproliferation.Kruskal-Wallistestsrevealed16metabolitesinourcell,
and28inthemediumtobesignificant(p<0.05).Anorthogonalpartialleastsquares-discriminant
analysis,OPLS-DA,ofsignificantmetaboliteswasusedtocomparedtreatedandnon-treated
samplesforbothdatasetsandshoweda100%predictiveaccuracy(AUC=1).Enrichment
analysisdeterminedthatatotalof7metabolicpathwaysweresignificantlyenriched(VLCFA
β-oxidation,glutamatemetabolism,theureacycle,ammoniarecycling,glycine/serine,alanine,
andglucose-alaninecycle).Pathwayanalysisshowedhistidinemetabolismtobetheonly
significantlyaffectedpathwaybetweenbothdatasets.SFN-inducedmetaboliccharacteristics
foundinRCCwereconsistentwithknownantioxidantandanti-inflammatorypathways.Ourdata
suggeststhatthetherapeuticmechanismsofSFNarelikelyduetointeractionswithTandNKT
cellsthatprotectthemfromoxidativestress.Futureexperimentsregardingantioxidantresearch
incancershouldbecompletely invivo,asopposedto invitro, inordertomaintainthenatural
physiology of cancer cells in the presence of host immune cells.
ContributorsHrovat, Jonathan Matthew (Co-author) / Bresette, William (Co-author) / Gu, Haiwei (Thesis director) / Jasbi, Paniz (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
REACT is a student-led venture which strives to address the healthcare disparities from geographic, linguistic and cultural isolation of the refugee community in Arizona/Phoenix. We will achieve this by Understanding the needs of the community, Engaging the community directly, Educating through the use of culturally appropriate materials, and providing access to supplemental Patient Care.
This venture is unique in that it is an interdisciplinary fusion between students, health professionals, and non-profit organizations empowering underserved refugees. A refugee is an individual forced to leave their country because of persecution, war, or violence. Once they arrive in the United States, they are forced to restart their lives, often with little to no financial assets, minimal English literacy, and a lack of transferable skills from their previous occupations in their home countries. In addition to these socioeconomic disparities, it is common for refugees to face health disparities. Consequently, refugees are one of the most vulnerable populations in our society.
Our organization provides value to the refugee community through our three key services. These are made up of supplemental resources, educational workshops, and clinical services. Our supplemental materials include resources that our clients will use after they have left our care to further improve their health and quality of life. These items include personal hygiene kits, informational pamphlets, and nutritional foods.
The educational workshops we provide specifically address identified knowledge gaps that impede the autonomy of our clients’ health and wellbeing. Several of the topics that we cover (but are not limited to) are diabetes, postpartum depression, nutrition, dental hygiene, AHCCCS, and nutrition. The clinical services that the clinic will provide will be supplementary primary care services that will encompass basic physical exams, A1C blood pressure checks, and vaccinations. These services all are aimed at alleviating the barriers to health that refugees face and ultimately improve their quality of life.
Our venture seeks to maintain positive and sustained relationships with our client segments through continuous community engagement. In conjunction with providing educational workshops and clinical care in the future, REACT continually engages the community by planning formal and informal programming with the refugees based on the needs and wishes of individual communities.
REACT generates these services through the work of medical students from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and undergraduates from Arizona State University. Our team brings together the experience from hundreds of hours of work in the community, collaborations with refugee community leaders, and the insight of professionals in the healthcare/social-work industry.
Further, our members have had extensive experience working with refugees, training in culturally sensitive practices, and delivering care to those that need it most. With the cost of healthcare exponentially rising, there is little hope for refugees to find adequate culturally competent healthcare. This leads to an increase in chronic diseases, preventable health issues, and increased hospitalization costs. Supporting REACT is not only an investment in the health of the refugees but the health of our entire healthcare system.
This venture is unique in that it is an interdisciplinary fusion between students, health professionals, and non-profit organizations empowering underserved refugees. A refugee is an individual forced to leave their country because of persecution, war, or violence. Once they arrive in the United States, they are forced to restart their lives, often with little to no financial assets, minimal English literacy, and a lack of transferable skills from their previous occupations in their home countries. In addition to these socioeconomic disparities, it is common for refugees to face health disparities. Consequently, refugees are one of the most vulnerable populations in our society.
Our organization provides value to the refugee community through our three key services. These are made up of supplemental resources, educational workshops, and clinical services. Our supplemental materials include resources that our clients will use after they have left our care to further improve their health and quality of life. These items include personal hygiene kits, informational pamphlets, and nutritional foods.
The educational workshops we provide specifically address identified knowledge gaps that impede the autonomy of our clients’ health and wellbeing. Several of the topics that we cover (but are not limited to) are diabetes, postpartum depression, nutrition, dental hygiene, AHCCCS, and nutrition. The clinical services that the clinic will provide will be supplementary primary care services that will encompass basic physical exams, A1C blood pressure checks, and vaccinations. These services all are aimed at alleviating the barriers to health that refugees face and ultimately improve their quality of life.
Our venture seeks to maintain positive and sustained relationships with our client segments through continuous community engagement. In conjunction with providing educational workshops and clinical care in the future, REACT continually engages the community by planning formal and informal programming with the refugees based on the needs and wishes of individual communities.
REACT generates these services through the work of medical students from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and undergraduates from Arizona State University. Our team brings together the experience from hundreds of hours of work in the community, collaborations with refugee community leaders, and the insight of professionals in the healthcare/social-work industry.
Further, our members have had extensive experience working with refugees, training in culturally sensitive practices, and delivering care to those that need it most. With the cost of healthcare exponentially rising, there is little hope for refugees to find adequate culturally competent healthcare. This leads to an increase in chronic diseases, preventable health issues, and increased hospitalization costs. Supporting REACT is not only an investment in the health of the refugees but the health of our entire healthcare system.
ContributorsMarostica, Chance William (Author) / Ferry, Lara (Thesis director) / Smith, Diana (Committee member) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Whistleblowing in Biomedical Research and Medicine: An Analysis of Ethical Expectations and Dilemmas
Description
In biomedical research institutions and medical institutions alike, whistleblowing, or the reporting of misconduct, has been severely retaliated against. Whistleblowers report misconduct by adhering to institutional whistleblowing policies, and do so in order to maintain ethical practice within their institution; it is important to note that by taking this ethical action, whistleblowers are aiming to protect the future of biomedical research and medicine. Despite these intentions, whistleblowing has developed a negative stigma due to the misconception that whistleblowers have self-proclaimed authority and are unable to function as part of a team. The retaliation against whistleblowers has been connected to psychological and professional fallout for the whistleblower, and it has been found that many whistleblowers suffer as a direct result of a lack of institutional support. The problems with whistleblowing culture demonstrate issues surrounding how ethics are maintained in institutions, who ethics policies apply to, and who has authority. The retaliation seen against whistleblowers outlines inherent institutional failures, and highlights the need for institutional change in order to both promote ethical practice and protect the whistleblowers who adhere to ethics policies. This thesis discusses such failures in detail, and outlines several broad solutions in order to combat this issue.
ContributorsTaylor, Kylee Anne (Author) / Robert, Jason (Thesis director) / Ellison, Karin (Committee member) / Johnson, Nate (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
In our exponentially expanding world, the knowledge of a group versus that of an individual is more relevant than ever. Social insects have evolved to rely on the information from the collective, and in the case of harvester ants, their choice revolves around the best seeds to collect.
The objective of this experiment is to study a colony’s seed preference following previous exposure to a seed type in the seed harvester ant Pogonomyrmex californicus. It was hypothesized that foragers would demonstrate a measurable preference for the seed type they had previously experienced over the novel seed type. The cuticular hydrocarbon profile is suspected to be an influence in the foragers’ seed selection. Following an incubation period with the designated seed type, a series of preference trials were conducted over the course of two days for two experiments in which each colony fragment was given a seed pile with a 1:1 ratio of niger and sesame, after which any seeds moved off the seed pile were determined to be chosen, as well as if the workers were observed moving the seeds off the pile from the video recordings. Using video recordings, the seed selections of individual foragers were also tracked. The results partially support the hypothesis, however, in some cases, the ants did not collect enough seeds for the preference to be significant, and not all colony fragments had preferences that lined up with what they had previously experienced according to their treatment. Familiarity with the hydrocarbon profile of the seed type the colony had experienced is a possible proximal explanation for why colonies had seed preferences that aligned with their treatment, the seed they were designated to experience. Due to the low quantity of seeds collected during preference trials, seed preference amongst individual foragers remains unclear due to many different foragers selecting a seed during only one trial, with very few foragers returning to forage for seeds over the course of the experiment.
The objective of this experiment is to study a colony’s seed preference following previous exposure to a seed type in the seed harvester ant Pogonomyrmex californicus. It was hypothesized that foragers would demonstrate a measurable preference for the seed type they had previously experienced over the novel seed type. The cuticular hydrocarbon profile is suspected to be an influence in the foragers’ seed selection. Following an incubation period with the designated seed type, a series of preference trials were conducted over the course of two days for two experiments in which each colony fragment was given a seed pile with a 1:1 ratio of niger and sesame, after which any seeds moved off the seed pile were determined to be chosen, as well as if the workers were observed moving the seeds off the pile from the video recordings. Using video recordings, the seed selections of individual foragers were also tracked. The results partially support the hypothesis, however, in some cases, the ants did not collect enough seeds for the preference to be significant, and not all colony fragments had preferences that lined up with what they had previously experienced according to their treatment. Familiarity with the hydrocarbon profile of the seed type the colony had experienced is a possible proximal explanation for why colonies had seed preferences that aligned with their treatment, the seed they were designated to experience. Due to the low quantity of seeds collected during preference trials, seed preference amongst individual foragers remains unclear due to many different foragers selecting a seed during only one trial, with very few foragers returning to forage for seeds over the course of the experiment.
ContributorsNewton, Natalie Nicole (Author) / Fewell, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Steven, Pratt (Committee member) / Ioulia, Bespalova (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05