Pediatric congenital heart defects primarily occur during fetal heart embryological development. This purpose of this thesis was to provide a comprehensive review of the basic cardiovascular physiology, focusing on three separate components - the heart, the blood vessels, and the blood - and a current look at three common occurring conditions. The congenital heart defects are reviewed with an anatomical overview of the condition, patient presentation, current surgical repairs, and life expectancies following successful repair. Repairs of tetralogy of fallot report mortality rates below 3%, compared to a 50% mortality rate prior to development of surgical repairs (Apitz). Transposition of the great arteries repaired with the relatively new Nikaidoh procedure show 95% late survivability rates (Martins). For truncus arteriosus, currently 83% of patients survive past 15 years (Soriano). Continuing research and refinement of existing surgical techniques are expected to increase survivorship from this congenital heart defects. To help families and patients understand that congenital condition their loved one may have, a very easy to understand picture book was created. This can hopefully inspire further improvements in family resources to aid in comprehension of congenital heart diseases.

The relationship between alcohol and the cardiovascular system (CVS) can have serious effects on the whole system. Excessive consumption causes damage while moderate consumption (1 drink/day for women; 2 drinks/day for men) can be protective. Moderate alcohol intake has been proven to show health benefits by increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and preventing clot formation which reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. However, excessive alcohol intake can lead to development of chronic diseases. By comparing alcohol consumption between the US and South Korea, it was discovered that factors such as location, culture, as well as, occupation, play a role in both the type and amount of alcohol consumed. In both nations, alcohol consumption has been increasing each year. A study showed that 16,749 deaths were due to alcoholic liver disease in 2011 in the United States. In Korea, the percentage of cases of chronic liver diseases as incidences of acute pancreatitis have increased. Lastly, although many studies show the affect of alcohol on arteries and arterioles, not much work has been done on capillaries and veins.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death of men and women in the United States. In fact, heart disease kills more people than all types of cancer combined, equaling almost 787,000 people in 2011 (25). In addition, it was estimated in 2012 that 52 billion dollars was spent in direct and indirect costs of heart failure and by the year 2030, the total cost of heart failure will triple (26). There are many modifiable risk factors that have been shown to reduce an individual’s chance of having heart failure, and one of these factors is exercise. Exercise will not completely prevent the decrease in cardiovascular function as an individual ages, but will help maintain cardiac output, VO2 max, and blood pressure. Any amount of exercise is beneficial, even for patients with pre-existing heart disease. Therefore, those who have risk factors for heart disease should consult their doctor and begin an exercise program to reduce their risk of a coronary event.

The goal of this study is to investigate the components and differences of the modifiable risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) between individuals diagnosed in both the United States and France. The amount of deaths associated with CAD in the United States greatly outweighs the amount of CAD related deaths in France. More than 18% of all deaths in the U.S. are due to CAD, while in France, that statistic is reduced to just 9%. Out of 172 countries, the United States ranks 107th for highest percentage of deaths from CAD, while France ranks 171st. Risk factors that were analyzed and compared include dyslipidemia, hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes, and obesity. The majority of these risk factors are comparably similar between both countries with the exception of dyslipidemia and cigarette smoking being slightly higher in France. However, there is a large difference in the prevalence of obesity. The United States possesses a 35% rate of obesity while France averages just 14.5%. While it remains unclear as to why France has a much lower rate of CAD than the US, it is reasonable to speculate that twice the amount of obesity will also double the amount of CAD. L’abstrait Le but de cette étude étudie les composantes et les différences entre les facteurs de risque modifiables pour la maladie coronarienne (CAD) entre les individus diagnostiqués aux États-Unis et en France. La quantité des morts associés à CAD aux États-Unis est beaucoup plus que la quantité de CAD morts associés en France. Plus de 18% de tous les morts aux États-Unis sont dus à CAD, mais en France, cette statistique est réduite à seulement 9%. Sur de 172 pays, les États-Unis sont 107e pour le plus haut pourcentage des morts de CAD, mais France est seulement 171e. Les facteurs de risque qui ont analysés et comparés comprennent la dyslipidémie, l'hypertension, le tabagisme, le diabète et l'obésité. La majorité de ces facteurs de risque sont comparables similaires entre les deux pays, à l'exception de la dyslipidémie et le tabagisme qui sont légèrement plus élevé en France. Cependant, il y a une grande différence dans la prévalence de l'obésité. Les États-Unis possède un taux de 35% d'obésité, mais France a seulement un taux de 14,5%. Bien qu'il reste difficile de comprendre pourquoi France a un taux beaucoup plus moins de CAD que les États-Unis, il est raisonnable de supposer que deux fois la quantité de l'obésité sera doubler la quantité de CAD aussi.

Arizona ranks 25th in overall prevalence of overweight or obese children (30.6%). Obesity, especially in children, has been steadily on the rise and is contributing to earlier onset of cardiovascular diseases that can be life-threatening. Childhood obesity has become an epidemic due to lifestyle choices such as decreased activity, parental influences, and dietary choices. There is evidence that overweight and obese children, not just adults, are at risk of developing cardiovascular complications, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. In this thesis I have described the cardiovascular system, obesity of adults and children, cardiovascular diseases related to obesity and how this can be changed by lifestyle modification as well as medications and surgical interventions. I then presented basic cardiovascular and healthy diet information to second graders in the hope to educate young, impressionable children about the importance of taking care of their bodies, especially while they are young. I have summarized the observations of this experience, as well as thoughts to the effectiveness of a PowerPoint to relay cardiovascular health information to children.

Nutrition is a large component that contributes to the health of an individual and has often been said to be a factor in many diseases, where a change in diet can either lead to disease or help to manage an individual’s disease-related symptoms. There is a generalized belief that reducing 'junk’ food and sugars is helpful for our body but what about when your body is attacking itself? This study identifies the pathways in which three autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroiditis, and vitiligo, function and how their symptoms can be managed using the diets which are commonly named as beneficial. These diets include the Paleo diet, gluten-free diet, and raw food diet. Overall, some diets were found to be better than others for each disorder, but individuals should be aware that dietary requirements can differ based on each individual.

Every year, around 100,000 people die from a venomous snake bite (Ahmed, 2008). With over 600 different species of venomous snakes, the availability for a particular antivenom strain is limited in many countries outside the United States (for example India). Factors contributing to this scarcity are: high retail cost, dangerous manufacturing processes of milking venomous snakes and the special storage requirements. In the following literary review, the physiology, history and current treatments for viperidae antivenom is explored. This research supports my hypothesis that although significant technological advancements are driving new antivenom research, the specificity and complex nature of venom proteins inhibit the quick development of universal antivenom. Along with journal investigation, I designed a brochure and educated Tucson locals about antivenom physiology and aftercare. Following this presentation, I created a poster summarizing the main points of my research. Overall, this study identified four potential avenues for antivenom (genetic immunization, artificial biomolecules, VIPER institution and natural animal venom resistance) and confirmed the global necessity for more accessible treatments.

The Collaborative Learning Space is a recent addition to the University of Arizona that helps students engage in active learning. Prior to the incorporation of the CLS, courses were primarily taught in a lecture based format. After receiving a grant, the University of Arizona decided to use the money to develop new types of leaning spaces and classrooms to increase student engagement and active learning. These classrooms are not only effective for the students, but also they make a huge impact on the faculty. For my honors senior thesis, I worked with Dr. Cohen to get a closer look at how we learn and what learning is like in the CLS. We investigated what types of learning and teaching styles are used in the CLS, and how students and professors view this new space in comparison to a regular lecture based classroom. We also explored the literature on how active learning impacts students learning. Overall the teacher and student satisfaction with the new learning spaces was seen to be very high, and active learning was found to show improvements in different areas including information retention, critical thinking, study habits, student attitude, and problem-solving skills.

“Over 340 million children and adolescents worldwide aged 5-­‐19 were overweight or obese in 2016.”(1) Becoming obese or overweight can lead to cardiovascular issues that can affect the heart, the blood, or vessels. The heart, blood, and vessels have very important functions for the body and exercising can help improve their functions. Most importantly, short bouts of high intensity exercise is proven to be very beneficial. This type of exercise not only improves cardiovascular health, but it also gets people up and moving. A daily exercise flipbook is attached to encourage the youth and adults to partake in daily physical activity for at least two minutes a day. Its purpose is to reveal how high intensity physical activity can benefit the cardiovascular system and in hopes, reduce the amount of children who are overweight or obese in the world.