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Description
Research supports that music therapy can be used in multiple aspects of care for patients living within different environments. There is a gap in the literature when it comes to the impact of music sessions for older adults who do not have a diagnosed disease, therefore this study analyzes this population specifically. This study examines music therapy and its effects on anxiety and depression in adults aged 65 or older living in independent living homes. The adults participated in a mixed-methods study over the span of one month examining music as an intervention to decrease anxiety and depression. Each subject consented into the study, completed a demographic survey, answered open-ended questions regarding their experience with anxiety/sadness and ways to cope, as well as Profile of Moods Scale (POMS) during the first session. On the last week of the study, the participants were asked to fill out the same POMS scale to evaluate whether music influenced anxiety and depression. There was limited evidence found in this study to support the use of music therapy as an intervention to decrease anxiety and depression in adults over the age of 65.
ContributorsWolfus, Sarah Ilyssa (Author) / Lee, Rebecca (Thesis director) / Larkey, Linda (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States announced that there has been roughly a 50% increase in the prevalence of food allergies among people between the years of 1997 - 2011. A food allergy can be described as a medical condition where being exposed to a certain food triggers a harmful immune response in the body, known as an allergic reaction. These reactions can range from mild to fatal, and they are caused mainly by the top 8 major food allergens: dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies mainly plague children under the age of 3, as some of them will grow out of their allergy sensitivity over time, and most people develop their allergies at a young age, and not when they are older. The rise in prevalence is becoming a frightening problem around the world, and there are emerging theories that are attempting to ascribe a cause. There are three well-known hypotheses that will be discussed: the Hygiene Hypothesis, the Dual-Allergen Exposure Hypothesis, and the Vitamin-D Deficiency Hypothesis. Beyond that, this report proposes that a new hypothesis be studied, the Food Systems Hypothesis. This hypothesis theorizes that the cause of the rise of food allergies is actually caused by changes in the food itself and particularly the pesticides that are used to cultivate it.
ContributorsCromer, Kelly (Author) / Lee, Rebecca (Thesis director) / MacFadyen, Joshua (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a unique but intense procedure used to save the lives of patients with hematopoietic malignancies. However, patients and caregivers undergoing HSCT can experience prolonged psychological distress due to an intense and distinctive transplant process. Types of psychological distress include anxiety, depression, social isolation, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Although this a significant healthcare problem, limited research has been conducted within the HSCT patient and caregiver population to investigate ways to improve their mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an educational video intervention about post-transplant recovery in decreasing emotional distress and promoting emotional well-being in HSCT patients and caregivers. This pilot study utilized a quantitative single-group pretest-posttest design to examine the effect of educational videos on participant's emotional well-being. Four educational videos were developed using information gathered from several reliable bone marrow transplant and cancer websites. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit HSCT patient and caregiver participants. Eleven Caucasian, English-speaking individuals (6 patients, 5 caregivers; 54.5% female; M age= 43.7 years) across the United States were enrolled in the 60-90 minute online intervention. Participant responses were measured using pretest and posttest questionnaires. Results from the study found that the educational videos were effective in decreasing levels of depression and anxiety. Implications for nursing practice include the need to educate HSCT patients and caregivers about transplant recovery to decrease emotional distress. This study demonstrates the impact post-transplant education has on decreasing depression and anxiety in HSCT patients and caregivers.
ContributorsBosselman, Kate Elizabeth (Author) / Kim, Sunny (Thesis director) / Lee, Rebecca (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Yellowstone National Park has a vibrant variety of flora, fauna, and hydrothermal systems all collected together in one large and complex system. Studies have been conducted for at least several decades in order to make sense of this system in ways that may be relevant to other similar geologies around the world. The latest update in this ever-ongoing study involves the collection and analysis of water samples from 2016. These samples have been analyzed for conductivity, pH, temperature, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, carbon isotopes, dissolved oxygen, ferrous iron, sulfide, silica, and more. While not many trends were found in this data in regards to dissolved organic carbon values, this is a substantial addition to a growing body of information that could yield more impressive information in times to come. In addition, factors that have yet to analyzed for this 2016 data, such as concentrations of metals and metalloids, may provide some insights when put through a chloride vs sulfate framework to separate out different reaction regions.
ContributorsDoan, Cuong Le (Author) / Shock, Everett (Thesis director) / Gould, Ian (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The ability to find evidence of life on early Earth and other planets is constrained by the current understanding of biosignatures and our ability to differentiate fossils from abiotic mimics. When organisms transition from the living realm to the fossil record, their morphological and chemical characteristics are modified, usually resulting in the loss of information. These modifications can happen during early and late diagenesis and differ depending on local geochemical properties. These post-depositional modifications need to be understood to better interpret the fossil record. Siliceous hot spring deposits (sinters) are of particular interest for biosignature research as they are early Earth analog environments and targets for investigating the presence of fossil life on Mars. As silica-supersaturated fluids flow from the vent to the distal apron, they precipitate non-crystalline opal-A that fossilizes microbial communities at a range in scales (μm-cm). Therefore, many studies have documented the ties between the active microbial communities and the morphological and chemical biosignatures in hot springs. However, far less attention has been placed on understanding preservation in systems with complex mineralogy or how post-depositional alteration affects the retention of biosignatures. Without this context, it can be challenging to recognize biosignatures in ancient rocks. This dissertation research aims to refine our current understanding of biosignature preservation and retention in sinters. Biosignatures of interest include organic matter, microfossils, and biofabrics. The complex nature of hot springs requires a comprehensive understanding of biosignature preservation that is representative of variable chemistries and post-depositional alterations. For this reason, this dissertation research chapters are field site-based. Chapter 2 investigates biosignature preservation in an unusual spring with mixed opal-A-calcite mineralogy at Lýsuhóll, Iceland. Chapter 3 tracks how silica diagenesis modifies microfossil morphology and associated organic matter at Puchuldiza, Chile. Chapter 4 studies the effects of acid fumarolic overprinting on biosignatures in Gunnuhver, Iceland. To accomplish this, traditional geologic methods (mapping, petrography, X-ray diffraction, bulk elemental analyses) were combined with high-spatial-resolution elemental mapping to better understand diagenetic effects in these systems. Preservation models were developed to predict the types and styles of biosignatures that can be present depending on the depositional and geochemical context. Recommendations are also made for the types of deposits that are most likely to preserve biosignatures.
ContributorsJuarez Rivera, Marisol (Author) / Farmer, Jack D (Thesis advisor) / Hartnett, Hilairy E (Committee member) / Shock, Everett (Committee member) / Garcia-Pichel, Ferran (Committee member) / Trembath-Reichert, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
I present results of field and laboratory experiments investigating the habitability of one of Earth’s driest environments: the Atacama Desert. This Desert, along the west coast of South America spanning Perú and Chile, is one of the driest places on Earth and has been exceedingly arid for millions of years. These conditions create the perfect natural laboratory for assessing life at the extremes of habitability. All known life needs water; however, the extraordinarily dry Atacama Desert is inhabited by well-adapted microorganisms capable of colonizing this hostile environment. I show field and laboratory evidence of an environmental process, water vapor adsorption, that provides a daily, sustainable input of water into the near (3 - 5 cm) subsurface through water vapor-soil particle interactions. I estimate that this water input may rival the yearly average input of rain in these soils (~2 mm).
I also demonstrate, for the first time, that water vapor adsorption is dependent on mineral composition via a series of laboratory water vapor adsorption experiments. The results of these experiments provide evidence that mineral composition, and ultimately soil composition, measurably and significantly affect the equilibrium soil water content. This suggests that soil microbial communities may be extremely heterogeneous in distribution depending on the distribution of adsorbent minerals.
Finally, I present changes in biologically relevant gasses (i.e., H2, CH4, CO, and CO2) over long-duration incubation experiments designed to assess the potential for biological activity in soils collected from a hyperarid region in the Atacama Desert. These long-duration experiments mimicked typical water availability conditions in the Atacama Desert; in other words, the incubations were performed without condensed water addition. The results suggest a potential for methane-production in the live experiments relative to the sterile controls, and thus, for biological activity in hyperarid soils. However, due to the extremely low biomass and extremely low rates of activity in these soils, the methods employed here were unable to provide robust evidence for activity. Overall, the hyperarid regions of the Atacama Desert are an important resource for researchers by providing a window into the environmental dynamics and subsequent microbial responses near the limit of habitability.
ContributorsGlaser, Donald M (Author) / Hartnett, Hilairy E (Thesis advisor) / Anbar, Ariel (Committee member) / Shock, Everett (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) are crucial nutrients for autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial life, respectively, in hydrothermal systems. Biogeochemical processes that control amounts of DIC and DOC in Yellowstone hot springs can be investigated by measuring carbon abundances and respective isotopic values. A decade and a half of field work in 10 regions within Yellowstone National Park and subsequent geochemical lab analyses reveal that sulfate-dominant acidic regions have high DOC (Up to 57 ppm C) and lower DIC (up to 50 ppm C) compared to neutral-chloride regions with low DOC (< 2 ppm C) and higher DIC (up to 100 ppm C). Abundances and isotopic data suggest that sedimentary rock erosion by acidic hydrothermal fluids, fresh snow-derived meteoric water, and exogenous carbon input allowed by local topography may affect DOC levels. Evaluating the isotopic compositions of DIC and DOC in hydrothermal fluids gives insight on the geology and microbial life in the subsurface between different regions. DIC δ13C values range from -4‰ to +5‰ at pH 5-9 and from -10‰ to +3‰ at pH 2-5 with several springs lower than -10‰. DOC δ13C values parkwide range from -10‰ to -30‰. Within this range, neutral-chloride regions in the Lower Geyser Basin have lighter isotopes than sulfate-dominant acidic regions. In hot springs with elevated levels of DOC, the range only varies between -20‰ and -26‰ which may be caused by local exogenous organic matter runoff. Combining other geochemical measurements, such as differences in chloride and sulfate concentrations, demonstrates that some regions contain mixtures of multiple fluids moving through the complex hydrological system in the subsurface. The mixing of these fluids may account for increased levels of DOC in meteoric sulfate-dominant acidic regions. Ultimately, the foundational values of dissolved carbon and their isotopic composition is provided in a parkwide study, so results can be combined with future studies that apply different sequencing analyses to understand specific biogeochemical cycling and microbial communities that occur in individual hot springs.
ContributorsBarnes, Tanner (Author) / Shock, Everett (Thesis advisor) / Meyer-Dombard, D'Arcy (Committee member) / Hartnett, Hilairy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
As air quality standards become more stringent to combat poor air quality, there is a greater need for more effective pollutant control measures and increased air monitoring network coverage. Polluted air, in the form of aerosols and gases, can impact respiratory and cardiovascular health, visibility, the climate, and material weathering. This work demonstrates how traditional networks can be used to study generational events, how these networks can be supplemented with low-cost sensors, and the effectiveness of several control measures. First, an existing network was used to study the effect of COVID-19 travel restrictions on air quality in Maricopa County, Arizona, which would not have been possible without the historical record that a traditional network provides. Although this study determined that decreases in CO and NO2 were not unique to the travel restrictions, it was limited to only three locations due to network sparseness. The second part of this work expanded the traditional NO2 monitoring network using low-cost sensors, that were first collocated with a reference monitor to evaluate their performance and establish a robust calibration. The sensors were then deployed to the field to varying results; their calibration was further improved by cycling the sensors between deployment and reference locations throughout the summer. This calibrated NO2 data, along with volatile organic compound data, were combined to enhance the understanding of ozone formation in Maricopa County, especially during wildfire season. In addition to being in non-attainment for ozone standards, Maricopa County fails to meet particulate matter under 10 μm (PM10) standards. A large portion of PM10 emissions is attributed to fugitive dust that is either windblown or kicked up by vehicles. The third part of this work demonstrated that Enzyme Induced Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) treatments aggregate soil particles and prevent fugitive dust emissions. The final part of the work examined tire wear PM10 emissions, as vehicles are another significant contributor to PM10. Observations showed a decrease in tire wear PM10 during winter with little change when varying the highway surface type.
ContributorsMiech, Jason Andrew (Author) / Herckes, Pierre (Thesis advisor) / Fraser, Matthew P (Committee member) / Shock, Everett (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
The prevalence and unique properties of airborne nanoparticles have raised concerns regarding their potential adverse health effects. Despite their significance, the understanding of nanoparticle generation, transport, and exposure remains incomplete. This study first aimed to assess nanoparticle exposure in indoor workplace environments, in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. On-site observations during tool preventive maintenance revealed a significant release of particles smaller than 30 nm, which subsequent instrumental analysis confirmed as predominantly composed of transition metals. Although the measured mass concentration levels did not exceed current federal limits, it prompted concerns regarding how well filter-based air sampling methods would capture the particles for exposure assessment and how well common personal protective equipment would protect from exposure. To address these concerns, this study evaluated the capture efficiency of filters and masks. When challenged by aerosolized engineered nanomaterials, common filters used in industrial hygiene sampling exhibited capture efficiencies of over 60%. Filtering Facepiece Respirators, such as the N95 mask, exhibited a capture efficiency of over 98%. In contrast, simple surgical masks showed a capture efficiency of approximately 70%. The experiments showed that face velocity and ambient humidity influence capture performance and mostly identified the critical role of mask and particle surface charge in capturing nanoparticles. Masks with higher surface potential exhibited higher capture efficiency towards nanoparticles. Eliminating their surface charge resulted in a significantly diminished capture efficiency, up to 43%. Finally, this study characterized outdoor nanoparticle concentrations in the Phoenix metropolitan area, revealing typical concentrations on the order of 10^4 #/cm3 consistent with other urban environments. During the North American monsoon season, in dust storms, with elevated number concentrations of large particles, particularly in the size range of 1-10 μm, the number concentration of nanoparticles in the size range of 30-100 nm was substantially lower by approximately 55%. These findings provide valuable insights for future assessments of nanoparticle exposure risks and filter capture mechanisms associated with airborne nanoparticles.
ContributorsZhang, Zhaobo (Author) / Herckes, Pierre (Thesis advisor) / Westerhoff, Paul (Committee member) / Shock, Everett (Committee member) / Fraser, Matthew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
This thesis project is a first-grade curriculum that is tailored for schools with school gardens. The curriculum contains worksheets and activities for the students, making it easier for teachers to take care of the school garden while also playing a part in fighting food injustice. The curriculum has 4 subjects: Math, Language Arts, Science, and Nutrition Education.
ContributorsShah, Hirni (Author) / McGregor, Joan (Thesis director) / Lee, Rebecca (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor)
Created2023-05