Matching Items (44,812)
Description
Excessive weight gain, otherwise known as obesity, has become a pervasive medical condition throughout the world. Though caloric restriction (CR) results in weight reduction, this weight loss is often unsustainable in the long term. As such, the goal is to find a treatment that can maintain the results of restricted energy intake (EI). Studies have found that dietary menthol could be a possible treatment and preventative measure for excessive weight gain. While several studies have found that, as an agonist of TRPM8, dietary menthol increases the energy expenditure (EE) of the body without impacting EI, they have not studied the efficacy of dietary menthol in preventing weight regain (WR) following a period of CR. Methods used in this experiment include studying young Sprague-Dawley rats during 24-hour periods towards the end of the following three phases: (1) an experimental phase of 12 weeks, comprised of ad-libitum feeding of high fat diet (HFD) to 10 rats and chow diet to 4 rats, (2) a CR phase of 4-weeks with controlled feeding of the HFD rats with either a chow diet (n=4) or chow diet + 0.5% dietary menthol (n=6) and keeping the other rats on chow (n=4), and (3) a WR period of 4-weeks with ad libitum feeding of the same diets as in CR. EI and EE (via indirect calorimetry) were measured over 24-hour periods and were divided by the rat’s respective body weight (BW) on testing day to normalize the sample population. The energy gap (EG) was determined by subtracting EE from EI. The experimental and WR phase revealed a positive EG or energy balance (EI > EE) whereas CR yielded a negative EG or energy balance (EI
Contributors
West, Kynzie Michelle (Author) / Herman, Richard (Thesis director) / Molenaar, Sydney (Committee member) / Johnsson, Kailin (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a known factor to exacerbate cardiopulmonary diseases. We previously demonstrated that PM mediated endothelial injury and barrier disruption via modulation of the endothelial cytoskeleton and cell-cell junctions, while the effects of PM exposure on cell-cell communication and gap junction activity are still unknown. This study is focused on the characterization of PM-mediated endothelial dysfunction via Connexin 43 (Cx43), the most abundant Gap junction protein expressed in lung endothelial cells (ECs). PM exposure induces a time-dependent elevation of Cx43 in human lung ECs, at both mRNA and protein levels. N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), an ROS scavenger, significantly suppresses PM-induced Cx43 expression. Membrane-associated and ER/ Golgi apparatus Cx43 protein are elevated upon PM challenge. In addition, PM also activates the gap junction activity, indicated by the transportation of green fluorescence dye between two adjacent ECs. Moreover, GAP27, a selective Cx43 channel inhibitor, attenuates PM-reduced human lung EC barrier disruption, measured by trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TER) with an electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system. Moreover, knock-down the expression of Cx43 by its selective siRNA alleviates PM-induced MLC phosphorylation. These results highly suggest that Cx43 plays a key role in PM-mediated endothelial barrier disruption and signal transduction. Cx43 may deputy as a therapeutic target in PM-mediated cardiopulmonary disorders.
Contributors
Kheshtchin-Kamel, Nabia (Author) / Welcome, Natalie (Thesis director) / Wang, Ting (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
As recent statistics from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) show, “in the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply…at the retail and consumer levels, correspond[ing] to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010” (“Food Loss and Waste | FDA”, 2020). Not only is excess food waste an economic problem for numerous companies, it’s unsustainable and inefficient when there could be the potential for learning and implementing innovative solutions, both on a large and small scale. The research from this creative project will focus on comparing The Walt Disney Company’s current food waste sustainability practices at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with Arizona State University’s (ASU’s) local Aramark Catering Services practices and initiatives throughout the Tempe campus’ dining halls. Specifically, the thesis will explore the benefits of anaerobic digesters and The Walt Disney Company’s use of anaerobic digesters at their Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts as a central means of converting food waste material into renewable natural gas. It will also explore Aramark’s current food waste management processes, specifically composting with the City of Phoenix’s industrial-grade composting yard, and the potential for implementing anaerobic digestion via a partnership with the City of Mesa into or in place of their current processes on ASU’s Tempe campus in the future.
Contributors
Nagy, Billie Isabella (Author) / Burns, Kevin (Thesis director) / Cloutier, Scott (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
The history of agricultural industrialization, a complex transition with global and local drivers and effects, is enhanced when local participants in the transition--farm households--contribute to the narrative. This thesis presents an in-depth case study of the household-level motivations and ecological impacts of agriculture during industrialization in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, c. 1960s-present. After a review of the theoretical frameworks for agricultural change studies, the historical context of PEI’s agricultural industrialization and the province-wide ecological effects are analyzed by interpreting historical, scientific, and grey literature. Then, a discussion of farm households’ role in connecting large-scale (often exogenous) factors with small-scale factors provides the background to the novel study, “The Back 50 Project”. Using a public participatory historical GIS (PPHGIS) online survey, this study invited PEI’s agricultural community to use historical maps to describe the agricultural land use change (ALUC) they have engaged in and observed since the start of industrialization. This study found that the strongest motivations for ALUC were proximate causes—namely, households’ resources and goals—rather than high-level historical drivers. The reported agroecological effects tended to concern on-farm ecosystems more than off-farm ecosystems, and they ranged in their harm or benefit, with harmful impacts following the historical contexts. Finally, the synthesis of these historical and ecological contexts with this household-level study aims to create a holistic narrative of PEI’s agricultural change over the past fifty years and provide recommendations for PEI’s future sustainable agricultural development.
Contributors
Neumann, Alexandra (Author) / Shrestha, Milan (Thesis director) / MacFadyen, Joshua (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, in Phoenix, Arizona, is currently undergoing an expansion of its Sky Train people mover to extend past the passenger terminal and connect with the Rental Car Center approximately 2.25 miles from the terminal complex. This expansion will allow passengers arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to transfer to the Rental Car Center in a more efficient and direct way compared to the current bus system. Additionally, the plans incorporate potential future construction. Although the plans for this expansion have been in place for many years, construction only began relatively recently. A construction project of this size is not a commonplace occurrence in the industry, and it requires considerable planning, coordination, research, and cooperation in order to complete successfully. This paper describes the project and explores how project members cooperate with each other and additional project stakeholders, and it explores the multiple elements of making a construction project like this possible.
Contributors
Levy, Mecah (Author) / Bearup, Wylie (Thesis director) / Parrish, Kristen (Committee member) / Del E. Webb Construction (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
Down syndrome (DS) is caused by either an extra copy of chromosome 21 or by extra material on chromosome 21. This causes various levels of intellectual disability and issues with gross motor skill development which can prevent these individuals from participating in activities of daily living (ADL) such as getting dressed, self-care, or grocery shopping. People with DS have a decreased ability to balance, an abnormal and slower gait pattern, difficulty adapting to new environments, and a lack of improvement in these areas with growth and development when compared to their neurotypical peers. The objective of this study was to determine the immediate effects of resistance training (RT) and assisted cycle therapy (ACT) on adults with DS’s balance ability and gait speed. Each participant completed one session of RT, ACT (stationary cycling with the assistance of a motor to maintain a cadence of at least 35% greater than their voluntary cycling speed), and no training in a randomly selected order. Balance and gait speed were measured by a Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (CTSIB) (i.e., eyes open firm surface, eyes closed firm surface, eyes open foam surface, eyes closed foam surface) on a Balance Tracking System Board (Btracks board) and by a Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. A total of ten participants’ data was used for analysis. The measures of total path length (cm), anterior-posterior (AP) excursion, and medial-lateral (ML) excursion were used to analyze the CTSIB. The average time was used to analyze the TUG test. The results showed that the eyes closed foam surface balance task was the most challenging balance task for every participant in every intervention. Furthermore, the most improvement was evident in the eyes closed foam surface balance task from pre to post intervention in all of the interventions. Post hoc tests also indicated statistically significant improvements of path length from pre to post in the RT intervention with the eyes closed foam surface balance task as well as with AP excursion in the ACT intervention with the eyes closed foam surface balance task. Possible explanations for improvements from pre to post in the eyes closed foam balance task across all interventions will be discussed with respect to the length of the intervention, and the effect of strength, social and learned factors on balance in adults with DS.
Contributors
Keim, Jeannette Danielle (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Peterson, Daniel (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
The phenomenon known as startReact is the fast, involuntary execution of a planned movement triggered by a startling acoustic stimulus. StartReact has previously been analyzed in simple motor movements such as finger abduction tasks, hand grasp tasks, and elbow extension tasks. More complex movements have also been analyzed, but there have been limited studies that look into functional complex tasks that require end-point accuracy. The objective of this project was to assess the ability to elicit startReact in tasks that simulate activities of daily living like feeding or picking up a glass of water. We hypothesized that a startReact response would be present in complex functional tasks, but the response would not be as accurate due to the increase in speed. Five subjects performed a simulated feeding task by moving kidney beans from one target to another where the end target changed in diameter as well as, a simulated drinking task where the subject moved a cup full of beads from one target to another. The hypothesis was supported due to a significant difference between no stimulus and stimulus trials for tricep muscle onset time, duration time, and the accuracy parameters of amount of beans dropped and weight in beads dropped. The results coincided with previous studies where subjects compensated for the change in diameter by increasing reaction time as the target diameter size decreased. The data obtained contradicted a previous study in relation to the duration time between the tasks due to our smallest diameter size having a faster duration time in comparison to the other diameter sizes. This study provides preliminary data that could assist researchers and clinicians in improving physical therapy methods for patients with impaired upper extremity motor movements.
Contributors
Riggs, Cassie Rebekah (Author) / Honeycutt, Claire (Thesis director) / Schaefer, Sydney (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
This is a constructed language that is primarily based on getting rid of Morphological and Syntactical ambiguity. Much of the inspiration I took when making this language came from Latin and Ancient Greek, adopting the things that make those languages beautiful, and changing the things that make them difficult. The main thing I wanted this language to accomplish was to achieve maximum specificity, clarity, and complexity of thought, and therefore I focused heavily on clause formation and making this a highly synthetic language.
Contributors
Jennings, Elisa Tamara (Author) / Van Gelderen, Elly (Thesis director) / Pruitt, Kathryn (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
Fish consumption advisories are important to the protection of human health but are not often widely communicated nor systematically or comprehensively conducted. The objective of this thesis is to explore the strengths and weaknesses of current fish consumption advisory programs in the US and Canada, providing a comparison between the two countries. The US and Canada were chosen because the two countries are relatively similar in socio-economic makeup as well as in their state vs. federal regulatory setup, allowing for easier comparison. At the sub-federal level, Arizona was chosen to serve as a case study for the US, and Nova Scotia as a case study for Canada. To compare each country, fish consumption advisory programs were broadly described across the 50 US states and 13 Canadian provinces and territories to provide a full understanding of the variation in such programs within each country. In addition to comparison across states and provinces, opportunities and challenges for policy correction to strengthen fish consumption advisory programs will be provided, including suggestions on how the US and Canada can learn from each other in creating better environmental policy. Policy is addressed as a means of improving fish consumption advisory programs because without state or federal requirements to monitor fish tissue for contaminants of concern across the US and Canada, there is no guarantee human health and environmental justice will remain protected in either country. Potential global sources of enhanced environmental policy will be provided as examples of further opportunities for the US and Canada to improve fish consumption advisory program policies.
Contributors
King, Rachael A H (Author) / Polidoro, Beth (Thesis director) / Watanabe, Karen (Committee member) / Avery, Trevor (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12
Description
Ever since Cleveland-based disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term "rock 'n' roll" in the early 1950s, the genre has gone through various mass media and digital changes over the decades. These changes took place on the radio, television and internet. Each platform had its own unique ways of increasing the popularity of rock artists as well as the genre itself. Although the radio is not as popular today as it was in the 20th century, it helped pave the way for today’s most popular music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The television gave artists a chance to be seen nationally or even worldwide. Music videos and live performances allowed viewers to see past artists’ voices and witness their energy. The internet gave bands and artists multiple platforms to share their content and connect with fans. In 2020, having a social media presence became essential for artists wanting to maintain a successful music career during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rock music most likely would not be what it is today if it had not gone through these various changes.
Contributors
Urriola, Monica (Author) / Thornton, Leslie (Thesis director) / Agne, Tim (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created
2020-12