Matching Items (579)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

131801-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The United States is one of the countries with the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world, with significantly higher rates than other developed countries. Maternal mortality is defined as the death of women who are pregnant or recently gave birth. Many studies suggest that those deaths are preventable

The United States is one of the countries with the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world, with significantly higher rates than other developed countries. Maternal mortality is defined as the death of women who are pregnant or recently gave birth. Many studies suggest that those deaths are preventable and result from a lack of quality care and unnecessary medical interventions. It is notable that there are specific populations, which I describe as “vulnerable,” that are at increased risk of maternal mortality, including women of color, women in poverty, and women with low socioeconomic statuses. The United States also has lower rates of midwife-assisted births than other developed countries, which suggests that there is an association between adverse birth outcomes, such as maternal mortality, and midwifery care. In my thesis, I investigate that association and answer the question: Do midwives lower rates of adverse birth outcomes in vulnerable populations? I describe the history of midwifery in the United States and analyze the factors that lead to lower adverse birth outcomes in midwife-attended births. I then suggest methods for integrating midwives into the United States healthcare system, which I suggest will lower rates of maternal mortality.
ContributorsOreilly, Megan Ashley (Author) / Maienschein, Jane (Thesis director) / Abboud, Carolina (Committee member) / Ellsworth Bowers, Esther (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131674-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Although extracellular throughout their lifecycle, trypanosomes are able to persist despite strong host immune responses through a process known as antigenic variation involving a large, highly diverse family of surface glycopro- tein (VSG) genes, only one of which is expressed at a time. Previous studies have used mathematical models to

Although extracellular throughout their lifecycle, trypanosomes are able to persist despite strong host immune responses through a process known as antigenic variation involving a large, highly diverse family of surface glycopro- tein (VSG) genes, only one of which is expressed at a time. Previous studies have used mathematical models to investigate the relationship between VSG switching and the dynamics of trypanosome infections, but none have explored the role of multiple VSG expression sites or the contribution of mosaic gene conversion events involving VSG pseudogenes.
ContributorsKoury, Michael Andrew (Author) / Taylor, Jesse (Thesis director) / Gumel, Abba (Committee member) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131685-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Anthropogenic climate change caused by increasing carbon emissions poses a threat to nearly every living organism. One consequence of these emissions is ocean acidification (OA). While OA has been shown to directly inhibit growth in calcifying animals, it might also have negative effects on other marine life. I conducted a

Anthropogenic climate change caused by increasing carbon emissions poses a threat to nearly every living organism. One consequence of these emissions is ocean acidification (OA). While OA has been shown to directly inhibit growth in calcifying animals, it might also have negative effects on other marine life. I conducted a systematic quantitative literature review on the effects of OA on fish behavior. The review consisted of 29 peer-reviewed, published journal articles. Most articles report some degree of negative impact of OA. Impacts include sensory impairment, erratic swimming patterns and attraction to predators. Many studies report insignificant impacts, thus continued research is needed to understand the consequences of human behavior and assist in mitigating our impact.
ContributorsKubiak, Allison Noelle (Co-author) / Kubiak, Allison (Co-author) / Gerber, Leah (Thesis director) / Eikenberry, Steffen (Committee member) / Kelman, Jonathan (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131750-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
A one-way function (OWF) is a function that is computationally feasible to compute in one direction, but infeasible to invert. Many current cryptosystems make use of properties of OWFs to provide ways to send secure messages. This paper reviews some simple OWFs and examines their use in contemporary cryptosystems and

A one-way function (OWF) is a function that is computationally feasible to compute in one direction, but infeasible to invert. Many current cryptosystems make use of properties of OWFs to provide ways to send secure messages. This paper reviews some simple OWFs and examines their use in contemporary cryptosystems and other cryptographic applications. This paper also discusses the broader implications of OWF-based cryptography, including its relevance to fields such as complexity theory and quantum computing, and considers the importance of OWFs in future cryptographic development
ContributorsMcdowell, Jeremiah Tenney (Author) / Hines, Taylor (Thesis director) / Foy, Joseph (Committee member) / Sprung, Florian (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
TIME CLASH
by
Sam Gerkin

A Serialized Single-Camera Comedy for Streaming

For my Thesis, I wrote an original TV Pilot Script and a Series “bible”. In lieu of a defense, I wrote a paper about the process of writing the Pilot.

Defining Principle:
Though different people often have very

TIME CLASH
by
Sam Gerkin

A Serialized Single-Camera Comedy for Streaming

For my Thesis, I wrote an original TV Pilot Script and a Series “bible”. In lieu of a defense, I wrote a paper about the process of writing the Pilot.

Defining Principle:
Though different people often have very different beliefs, we all must fight for the beliefs that hold a society together.

Logline:
Extremely different individuals from the past, present, and future must find a way to work together to save the universe from evil creatures in present-day Phoenix, Arizona.
ContributorsGerkin, Samuel (Co-author) / Gerkin, Sam (Co-author) / Maday, Gregory (Thesis director) / Bernstein, Gregory (Committee member) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131923-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Older adults tend to learn at a lesser extent and slower rate than younger individuals. This is especially problematic for older adults at risk to injury or neurological disease who require therapy to learn and relearn motor skills. There is evidence that the reticulospinal system is critical to motor learning

Older adults tend to learn at a lesser extent and slower rate than younger individuals. This is especially problematic for older adults at risk to injury or neurological disease who require therapy to learn and relearn motor skills. There is evidence that the reticulospinal system is critical to motor learning and that deficits in the reticulospinal system may be responsible, at least in part, for learning deficits in older adults. Specifically, delays in the reticulospinal system (measured via the startle reflex) are related to poor motor learning and retention in older adults. However, the mechanism underlying these delays in the reticulospinal system is currently unknown.

Along with aging, sleep deprivation is correlated with learning deficits. Research has shown that a lack of sleep negatively impacts motor skill learning and consolidation. Since there is a link between sleep and learning, as well as learning and the reticulospinal system, these observations raise the question: does sleep deprivation underlie reticulospinal delays? We hypothesized that sleep deprivation was correlated to a slower startle response, indicating a delayed reticulospinal system. Our objectives were to observe the impact of sleep deprivation on 1) the startle response (characterized by muscle onset latency and percentage of startle responses elicited) and 2) functional performance (to determine whether subjects were sufficiently sleep deprived).

21 young adults participated in two experimental sessions: one control session (8-10 hour time in bed opportunity for at least 3 nights prior) and one sleep deprivation session (0 hour time in bed opportunity for one night prior). The same protocol was conducted during each session. First, subjects were randomly exposed to 15 loud, startling acoustic stimuli of 120 dB. Electromyography (EMG) data measured muscle activity from the left and right sternocleidomastoid (LSCM and RSCM), biceps brachii, and triceps brachii. To assess functional performance, cognitive, balance, and motor tests were also administered. The EMG data were analyzed in MATLAB. A generalized linear mixed model was performed on LSCM and RSCM onset latencies. Paired t-tests were performed on the percentage of startle responses elicited and functional performance metrics. A p-value of less than 0.05 indicated significance.

Thirteen out of 21 participants displayed at least one startle response during their control and sleep deprived sessions and were further analyzed. No differences were found in onset latency (RSCM: control = 75.87 ± 21.94ms, sleep deprived = 82.06 ± 27.47ms; LSCM: control = 79.53 ± 17.85ms, sleep deprived = 78.48 ± 20.75ms) and percentage of startle responses elicited (control = 84.10 ± 15.53%; sleep deprived = 83.59 ± 18.58%) between the two sessions. However, significant differences were observed in reaction time, TUG with Dual time, and average balance time with the right leg up. Our data did not support our hypothesis; no significant differences were seen between subjects’ startle responses during the control and sleep deprived sessions. However, sleep deprivation was indicated with declines were observed in functional performance. Therefore, we concluded that sleep deprivation may not affect the startle response and underlie delays in the reticulospinal system.
ContributorsGopalakrishnan, Smita (Author) / Honeycutt, Claire (Thesis director) / Petrov, Megan (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131938-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Impostor syndrome is a psychological experience where an individual doubts their own successes and achievements, even with supporting evidence of their legitimate skill. Although there is plenty of research on impostor syndrome in the workplace and post-graduate programs, there is less information on undergraduate students especially at an inclusive, large,

Impostor syndrome is a psychological experience where an individual doubts their own successes and achievements, even with supporting evidence of their legitimate skill. Although there is plenty of research on impostor syndrome in the workplace and post-graduate programs, there is less information on undergraduate students especially at an inclusive, large, public university. As a student at ASU, I have both experienced and seen others experience a feeling of intellectual phoniness in classes which can lead to insecurity and fear of humiliation. Especially in students who are different than their peers, interacting with faculty and other students can cause unnecessary stress because they see themselves as underqualified.
My research will aim to address what impostor syndrome looks like at ASU and which groups of students are affected by it most. Impostor syndrome can manifest in insecurities and behaviors that make collegiate success more difficult, such as less class participation or a hesitation to attend office hours. Professors can inadvertently add to the issue by creating a classroom culture that caters more towards the traditional, often white male, student in their major, especially in majors where the faculty demographics are not similar to the student demographics. I hope that bringing light to impostor syndrome at ASU can help professors understand why some students may participate less or perform differently. Also, I want to help students who do experience insecurity or feel different understand what impostor syndrome is and that they are not alone in their experiences.
In particular, this study can shine light on areas of study that have less diversity. Many studies have indicated that STEM majors are extremely less diverse than national averages. The National Science Foundation found that woman only made up 30% of engineering and computer science degrees and racial minorities were less than 15% of engineering, math, and physical science degrees in 2013 (NSF, 2014). While pre-college interest may play a part in lower enrollment among traditionally underrepresented students, I believe that STEM professors must also take responsibility for encouraging or discouraging all students to continue studying after taking their classes. The results of my survey may indicate that some demographics feel uncomfortable speaking in class or attending offices hours, which are behaviors professors can go out of their way to make less intimidating.
ContributorsLevine, Olivia (Author) / Kittilson, Miki (Thesis director) / Simhony, Avital (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131941-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
New genomic resources allow for the investigation of gene family diversity in genome-enabled reptiles. The Toll-like Receptor (TLR) gene family recognizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and coevolves with environmental pathogens which makes it a strong candidate for looking at the interplay between gene family diversification and host-pathogen coevolution. Using a

New genomic resources allow for the investigation of gene family diversity in genome-enabled reptiles. The Toll-like Receptor (TLR) gene family recognizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and coevolves with environmental pathogens which makes it a strong candidate for looking at the interplay between gene family diversification and host-pathogen coevolution. Using a new orthology curation pipeline and phylogenetic reconstruction, a novel gene expansion event of TLR8 was identified to be exclusive to crocodilians and chelonians with species-specific pseudogenization events. A new gene, TLR21-like, was identified as a part of the TLR11 subfamily. These findings uncover reptile-specific gene family evolution and provide indications of the role of habitat in this process.
ContributorsMorales, Matheo (Author) / Kusumi, Kenro (Thesis director) / Dolby, Greer (Committee member) / Scott, Peter (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131817-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
There is a growing interest among policymakers and economists in quantifying the relationship between climate and economic output. Previous studies have demon- strated a clear relationship between temperature on economic growth but they generally do not report significant impacts of rainfall in regions outside of developing countries. Using gridded panel

There is a growing interest among policymakers and economists in quantifying the relationship between climate and economic output. Previous studies have demon- strated a clear relationship between temperature on economic growth but they generally do not report significant impacts of rainfall in regions outside of developing countries. Using gridded panel data, this paper estimates the effects of the number of days during the growing season with no rainfall on per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the areas of the United States over the Ogallala and Mississippi Aquifers. Measuring precipitation in terms of growing season dry days instead of aggregate rainfall levels reveals a strong negative relationship between rainfall deficits and economic growth.
ContributorsMann, John (Author) / Hanemann, Michael (Thesis director) / Kuminoff, Nicolai (Committee member) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
131828-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This study sought to replicate previous work in student conceptions of formal proofs based on informal arguments, originally explored by Zazkis et al. (2016). Additional tasks were added to the experiment to produce new data that could further verify the analysis of Zazkis et al. (2016) as well as provide

This study sought to replicate previous work in student conceptions of formal proofs based on informal arguments, originally explored by Zazkis et al. (2016). Additional tasks were added to the experiment to produce new data that could further verify the analysis of Zazkis et al. (2016) as well as provide more insight into how students comprehend proofs, what types of mistakes occur, and why. Results from one-on-one interviews confirmed that some students were not able to make accurate informal to formal comparisons because they were not considering multiple facets of the problem. Additionally, patterns in the students’ analysis introduced more questions concerning the motivations behind what students choose to think about when they read and dissect proofs.
ContributorsPeng, Tina (Author) / Zazkis, Dov (Thesis director) / Roh, Kyeong Hah (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Computing and Informatics Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05