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- Creators: Arizona State University
Description
This thesis explores the historical development of the criminal justice system across four eras. The system has been utilized to control and exploit Black people for economic gain. After the American Revolution, and the rise of the penitentiary, many argued that imprisoning individuals for labor was reminiscent of the institution of slavery itself, which highlights the criminal justice system's potential to target and control Black people. During the pre-Civil War era, white slave owners established slave patrols to prevent enslaved Black people from leaving their plantation, and to control the movement of Blacks more broadly. These early slave patrols provided an institutional foundation for the later development of the modern police force. During Reconstruction, the Ku Klux Klan adopted the methods of slave patrols to maintain white supremacy and control over Blacks with lynching becoming everyday occurrences. During the Jim Crow era, Black communities faced widespread discrimination, and the system was used to enforce racial segregation and maintain white dominance. The Civil Rights Movement marked a turning point against Jim Crow. However, the post-Civil Rights era was met with the War on Drugs and the rise of mass incarceration, which disproportionately affected Black communities. To gain equality, Black people have consistently been met with backlash, often supported by the criminal justice system. While reforming the system is necessary, it is unlikely to eliminate racism and white supremacy. A more comprehensive approach is needed to address the root causes of these issues and ensure equality and justice for all.Keywords: white supremacy, racism, color-blind, police violence, slave patrol, slavery, convict leasing system
ContributorsMoore, Antonio Lamont (Author) / Keahey, Jennifer (Thesis advisor) / Kim, Linda (Committee member) / Hepner, Tricia R (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Quantifying ecological relationships by gathering and sifting through large stores of data and applying statistical models to them is a substantial first step in identifying
optimal habitat for the dispersal of threatened species, but the implementation of the
result requires coordination between political, economic, and environmental actors that
are further complicated by the margin of error in modeling a wildlife corridor. That is
why the partnership between Arizona State University (ASU), the Phoenix Zoo: Arizona
Center for Nature Conservation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) DEVELOP, and Osa Conservation needed a framework for identifying and
analyzing the forest patches that constituted the least cost path (LCP) modelled to
connect the Talamanca Mountains of La Amistad International Peace Park and the Osa
Peninsula of Corcovado National Park and allow for the dispersal of jaguars (Panthera
onca). A framework for selection of forest patches of adequate size was established in
ArcMap and data were extracted to further analyze their characteristics and select targets
to be ground-truthed. Forest patches were successfully identified and selected using data
used for the modelling of the LCP. Patches were selected by the desired size of three
hectares or greater, the home range of prey species paca (Cuniculus paca). Patches were
characterized by patch area, resistance value or cost, distance from LCP, and distance
from nearest neighbor across multiple forest density thresholds.
ContributorsSerna, Patrick Karey Samuel (Author) / Schipper, Jan (Thesis advisor) / Watanade-Sailor, Karen (Committee member) / Frazier, Amy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
In an era of educational transformation, teacher leaders play a pivotal role in facilitating systemic change within schools. This dissertation presents a single-case action research study investigating the support structures provided by a Team Lead Communities of Practice (TL CoP) to nurture teacher leaders. The primary aim of this research is to explore the effectiveness of the TL CoP in supporting teacher leaders at one school site. Utilizing qualitative data from interviews, participant journals, researcher memos, and agendas, this study captures the perspectives of team leads of interdisciplinary teams. The findings emphasize the need for flexible support systems tailored to the unique challenges teacher leaders face. Offering teacher leaders agency in their learning is paramount to their success. Additionally, structured time for collaboration and problem-solving within the TL CoP is crucial. One significant revelation is the importance of role clarity. Team leads need a clear understanding of their responsibilities to effectively lead teams and drive systemic change. This research contributes to the literature on educational leadership by highlighting the vital role of teacher leaders and the potential of TL CoPs in supporting their development. It advocates for the creation of such communities as a promising strategy to empower teacher leaders, providing them with essential support, dedicated collaboration time, and role clarity. As schools evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century, the insights from this study offer guidance for educational stakeholders seeking to cultivate a culture of leadership and foster systemic change through teacher leadership.
ContributorsPreston, Lee Allyne Cox (Author) / Markos, Amy (Thesis advisor) / Corner, Kevin (Committee member) / Fourlis, Andi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most commonly transmitted STI and isresponsible for an estimated 5% of cancer cases worldwide. HPV infection is implicated
in 70% of cervical cancer incidence and is also responsible for a variety of oropharyngeal
and anogenital cancers. While vaccination has greatly reduced the cervical cancer
burden in developed countries, HPV infection remains high in developing countries due
to high cost and poor access to healthcare. Several studies have highlighted the
presence of anti-HPV antibodies following infection and their potential use as
biomarkers for developing novel screening methods. Progression from initial infection to
cancer is slow, thus presenting an opportunity for effective screening programs.
Biomarker screening is an important area of cancer detection and Lateral Flow Assays
(LFA) are a low cost, easy to use alternative to other screening methods that require
extensive training and laboratory space. Therefore, this project proposes as a hypothesis
that the development of an LFA screening for HPV specific IgG can provide clinically
relevant data for the early detection of cervical dysplasia. This project adapts an LFA in a
multiplexed format for fluorescence-based serologic detection of HPV specific IgG in
patient plasma.
ContributorsJohns, William (Author) / Anderson, Karen (Thesis advisor) / Lake, Douglas (Committee member) / Hogue, Brenda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Novel means are needed to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) and cancer, given delays in medical diagnosis and rising rates of disease incidence, prevalence, and mortality worldwide. Development of NDDs and cancer has been linked to environmental toxins. Ensuing epigenetic changes may serve as helpful biomarkers to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as well as various cancers sooner and more accurately. This dissertation tabulates and evaluates a spectrum of diagnostic matrixes (i.e., soil, sewage sludge, blood) and markers of disease to inform disease surveillance. A literature search using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Bradford Hill criteria implicated BMAA, formaldehyde, Mn, Hg, and Zn as environmental factors with strong association to ALS risk. Another PRISMA search identified epigenetic changes (e.g., DNA methylation) in NDD patients associated with environmental toxic exposures to air pollutants, heavy metals, and organic chemicals. Of the 180 environmental toxins hypothesized to be associated with AD, PD, or ALS, four heavy metals (As, Cd, Mn, and Hg) were common to these NDDs. Sources, as well as evidence and proxies of human exposure to these heavy metals and Pb were investigated here, namely the metal industries, and metal concentrations in topsoil, sewage sludge, and blood. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in sewage sludge were found to be significantly correlated with NDD prevalence rates in co-located populations (state-level) with odds ratios of 2.91 and 4.08, respectively. Markers of exposure and disease in urine and feces were also evaluated using PRISMA, finding 73 of 94 epigenetic biomarker panels to be valid for tracking primarily gastric and urinary cancers. In all studies, geospatial analyses indicated a preference in study cohorts located in the U.S., Europe, and the northern hemisphere, leaving underserved many populous regions particularly in the southern hemisphere. This dissertation draws attention to sewage sludge as a currently underutilized proxy matrix for assessing toxic human exposures and further identified a spectrum of particularly attractive, non-invasive biomarkers for future diagnostic use to promote early detection, survivability, and quality of life of individuals at risk of NDDs and cancer.
ContributorsNewell, Melanie Engstrom (Author) / Halden, Rolf U. (Thesis advisor) / Mastroeni, Diego (Committee member) / Lee, Heewook (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
In today’s world, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives. For this integration to be successful, it’s essential that AI systems can effectively interact with humans. This means making the AI system’s behavior more understandable to users and allowing users to customize the system’s behavior to match their preferences. However, there are significant challenges associated with achieving this goal. One major challenge is that modern AI systems, which have shown great success, often make decisions based on learned representations. These representations, often acquired through deep learning techniques, are typically inscrutable to the users inhibiting explainability and customizability of the system. Additionally, since each user may have unique preferences and expertise, the interaction process must be tailored to each individual. This thesis addresses these challenges that arise in human-AI interaction scenarios, especially in cases where the AI system is tasked with solving sequential decision-making problems. This is achieved by introducing a framework that uses a symbolic interface to facilitate communication between humans and AI agents. This shared vocabulary acts as a bridge, enabling the AI agent to provide explanations in terms that are easy for humans to understand and allowing users to express their preferences using this common language. To address the need for personalization, the framework provides mechanisms that allow users to expand this shared vocabulary, enabling them to express their unique preferences effectively. Moreover, the AI systems are designed to take into account the user’s background knowledge when generating explanations tailored to their specific needs.
ContributorsSoni, Utkarsh (Author) / Kambhampati, Subbarao (Thesis advisor) / Baral, Chitta (Committee member) / Bryan, Chris (Committee member) / Liu, Huan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Frameworks of Many into the Creation of One [FMOC] is a choreographic work that delves into the concept of identity: Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? What is the narrative that binds us? This piece offers an exploration of our interactions with the world around us as we navigate the ongoing process of self-discovery. FMCO illuminates the intersectionality of the individual within a community, examining the diverse ways in which we express ourselves in relation to our environment. IDENTITY: Individual Differences Expressed and Negotiated through Environmental Information. The work delves into the idea that identity is shaped by the transfer of information within one's environment. Through the mediums of storytelling, dance, and multimedia, FMCO offers the audience an immersive experience of frameworks and concepts that influence both their own identities and the identity of Alecea Housworth. The piece invites viewers to contemplate the dynamic interplay between individualism and the influences of one's surroundings. This paper delves into the intricate interplay between individuality and community, shedding light on the complexity inherent in the human experience. Exploring the frameworks being race, gender, religion, and gender, which impact experiences that shape the development of one's sense of self. Through the lens of dance, this study examines how individuals construct and embody their identities, offering a nuanced understanding of self-conception through communal engagement.
ContributorsHousworth, Alecea Raquel (Author) / Kaplan, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Barnes, LaTasha (Thesis advisor) / Bernard, Daniel R (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024