Matching Items (34)
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- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Status: Published
Description
Contrast agents in medical imaging can help visualize structural details, distributions of particular cell types, or local environment characteristics. Multi-modal imaging techniques have become increasingly popular for their improved sensitivity, resolution, and ability to correlate structural and functional information. This study addresses the development of dual-modality (magnetic resonance/fluorescence) and dual-functional (thermometry/detection) nanoprobes for enhanced tissue imaging.
ContributorsHemzacek, Katherine Leigh (Author) / Kodibagkar, Vikram (Thesis director) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The purpose of this study, conducted via the Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) Program in association with Arizona State University's T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, was to expand the influence of Open Table, a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to equipping the impoverished with the necessary tools to restore them back to self-sufficiency through the power of relationship. The study sought to aid the organization's expansion through an analysis of the decision-making process leaders from faith congregations undergo to establish or continue partnerships with Open Table. A series of interviews were conducted with leaders from congregations currently partnered with Open Table to determine the nature of the decision-making process for adopting Open Table into their congregations, the expectations of the Open Table model for reaching the impoverished, and to what degree those expectations were met. Nine interviews were conducted from which the following results were derived. The key results revealed that congregation leaders other than the lead pastor often conducted the majority of the decision-making in regard to adopting and implementing Open Table within the various congregations. The decision to adopt Open Table often was based on whether or not any particular congregation's mission and values aligned with that of the organizations. Some expectations leaders had of Open Table were for their congregation members to receive a richer education of poverty and to help an individual exit poverty. For the most part, the results revealed that these expectations were frequently met.
ContributorsHoover, Nicole Rene (Author) / Ostrom, Amy (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Smart contrast agents allow for noninvasive study of specific events or tissue conditions inside of a patient's body using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This research aims to develop and characterize novel smart contrast agents for MRI that respond to temperature changes in tissue microenvironments. Transmission Electron Microscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and cell culture growth assays were used to characterize the physical, magnetic, and cytotoxic properties of candidate nanoprobes. The nanoprobes displayed thermosensitve MR properties with decreasing relaxivity with temperature. Future work will be focused on generating and characterizing photo-active analogues of the nanoprobes that could be used for both treatment of tissues and assessment of therapy.
ContributorsHussain, Khateeb Hyder (Author) / Kodibagkar, Vikram (Thesis director) / Stabenfeldt, Sarah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The YouTube Celebrity examines some of the top YouTube channels and their common methods of creation and communication. In this project I created and posted several videos and blogs discussing some common factors of success, using real world examples and the theory behind the medium and the people. I argue that successful YouTubers use a deliberate presentation as an amateur creator in order to gain authenticity. I use my experimental creation of videos and digital discussion of these ideas to develop my argument as well as applicable literature from relevant fields.
ContributorsRiley, Megan Nicole (Author) / Halavais, Alexander (Thesis director) / Scott, Suzanne (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Both Superman and Captain America are the ancestors of modern superheroes and, through the lens of superheroes and popular culture, following their journey from their comic-book inception to their modern-day film incarnations gives us an idea of how American values have shifted. Superman and Captain America are very significant to American popular culture simply because, in a way, they both have shaped much of popular culture with respects to American identity. Because they were created when America needed heroes to look up to, they have helped mold the image of what an American hero truly is. The most important aspect of these two individual characters is how they have remained popular through the many changes that have plagued and molded American culture since their inception. This endurance can be attributed to the rhetoric that each hero has embodied, and the ways in which this rhetoric has or has not changed. By exploring both their comic book origins and their current, most popular feature films, we can discover how what they have had to say not only mirrors American values, but also illuminates these values within popular culture.
ContributorsTrumble, Samantha Lynn (Author) / Austin, Mary (Thesis director) / Wheeler, Jacqueline (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The effects of biocontrol and the potential risks associated with them are of interest to many researchers. In the Virgin River area of Nevada, natural resource managers have done studies of various removal techniques on the non-native Tamarix spp. strands. One such area of focus is the use of biocontrol in the form of the tamarisk leaf beetle (Diorhabda spp.), and the resulting changes in the environment from the defoliation of the trees. Previous studies have shown that removal of the plants can potentially be beneficial to lizards. But do changes in the environment change the amount of food available? We were interested to see if the amount of arthropod biomass from these areas had a relationship with the lizard abundance. Taking arthropod collection data from the Virgin River, we compared it with arthropod data over several years, before and after Diorhabda was introduced in 2010. Arthropod biomass data was obtained by taking the collected arthropods and drying them in an oven and weighing them. Results show that there is no correlation between the arthropod numbers or biomass with the amount of lizards in the area, that biomass was greatest after biocontrol introduction, and biomass was highest in mixed Tamarix and native tree strands versus just Tamarix strands. In conclusion, arthropod numbers and biomass have shown to be a poor indicator of lizard abundance, and factors such as temperature changes in the environment might be a better indicator of the changing abundance of lizards.
ContributorsPicciano, Melanie Erin (Author) / Bateman, Heather (Thesis director) / Barnard, James (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
By looking at the history and the current state of educational affairs in Indian Country there is an identifiable need to encourage Indigenous students to succeed. Theories involving decolonization, sovereignty rights, and the Indigenous pedagogy are essential to properly empower Indigenous youth. Research involved analyzing four previously implemented programs in Indigenous communities around the world which focused on education, culture, and decolonization. Data was collected through interviews and surveys from undergraduate and graduate students attending Arizona State University. From the information gathered a program is suggested which focuses on teaching Indigenous youth research methods and implementing a program within their community. The suggested program derives ideas from the aforementioned analyzed programs and cultural values in the Diné community.
ContributorsManson, Merry Caroline (Author) / Vicenti Carpio, Myla (Thesis director) / Bortner, Peg (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / American Indian Studies Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The objectives of this review include a discussion of the West Nile Virus phylogeny, transmission history, how the virus functions in the body and how it is a threat to public health, and then discusses these items related to vaccine technology surrounding West Nile Virus. This will include past developments, current research in the field and what it may take to develop such a vaccine safe and economical for human usage.
ContributorsSlinker, Haleigh Renee (Author) / Chen, Qiang (Thesis director) / Huffman, Holly (Committee member) / Oberstein, Bruce (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
As the student union on Arizona State University’s main Tempe campus, the MU should be a model of building sustainability. After a fire engulfed the MU’s second floor in 2007, the building underwent major renovations and achieved LEED v2.0: Commercial Interiors (LEED CI) Gold certification. Since then, more up-to-date building certification programs have been established, including the Green Globes (GG) green building rating system and a more recent version of LEED that suits the MU’s situation—Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED EB:OM). This paper performs a cost-benefit analysis of these rating systems, specifically looking at 1) national recognition, 2) ease of use, 3) amount of resources needed to invest, 4) length of time of the certification process, 5) certification fees and costs, 6) pre-requisites and system structure of point allotment, and 7) flexibility of the systems. A review of the previous LEED CI certification of the MU addresses 1) solar panel installation and renewable energy achievements, 2) improvement of indoor air quality, 3) application of sustainable construction practices, 4) missed opportunities since renovations were not performed on the entire building, 5) water efficiency scoring, and 6) lack of significant Energy & Atmosphere improvements. A proposal for the university to consider LEED EB:OM certification for the Memorial Union will be presented, analyzing the points already secured by campus-wide programs and policies, credits that are possible with minimal funding, and elaborating on opportunities already planned for completion, including 1) the Power Parasol project, 2) “Zero Waste by 2015” and “Carbon Neutrality” programs and goals, and 3) plans for alternative transportation methods through the Tempe Campus Access Management Plan. In conclusion, my recommendation to pursue LEED EB:OM and achieve Silver level will be presented. With the majority of LEED points already secured and several on the horizon, certifying the MU under LEED EB:OM will set an example and increase the amount of existing buildings on campus to pursue LEED certification. University-wide policies on green cleaning, sustainable purchasing, alternative energy sources, carbon neutrality, and LEED for Multiple Buildings all contribute to simplifying the LEED certification process for ASU buildings campus-wide.
ContributorsHeppner, Mary Catherine (Author) / Brown, Nicholas (Thesis director) / Martin, Thomas (Committee member) / Bogart, Brooke (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Adam Simons is an Interdisciplinary Studies major at Arizona State University with concentrations in business and music. He is also a member of the alternative rock group RadioDriveBy. RadioDriveBy is a five-piece band based in Arizona that writes, professionally records, and performs its own original songs. This thesis contains a narrative of the planning, execution, and analysis of two albums released by RadioDriveBy. Through his experience and research in managing multiple releases, Simons covers the critical factors for artists to consider when marketing music in today's changing industry. The author divides an album release into five critical components: original music, release structure, artist image, accessibility and availability, and online promotion. This method of analysis develops manageable steps for artists to succeed in the modern music industry. Overall, this thesis is a model and creative project to help understand not only the behind-the-scenes work of RadioDriveBy, but also to provide a framework for other musicians and artists navigating the same path.
ContributorsSimons, Adam North (Author) / Olsen, Douglas (Thesis director) / Conz, David (Committee member) / Stevens, Nancy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor)
Created2013-05