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Minutes of an Organizational Meeting, The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, March 7, 2023
No full textLabel-Free Flow Cytometry to Understand Nanoparticle-Cell Interactions
Get PDFUnderstanding nanoparticle-cell interactions at single-nanoparticle and single-cell resolutions is crucial to improving the design of next-generation nanoparticles for safer, more effective, and more efficient applications in nanomedicine. This study partly focuses on recent advances in the continuous high-throughput analysis of nanoparticle-cell interactions at the single-cell level. We highlight and discuss the current trends in continual flow high-throughput methods for analyzing single cells centered around flow cytometry techniques. This study further discusses the challenges and opportunities with current flow cytometry approaches and provides proposed directions for innovation in the high-throughput analysis of nanoparticle-cell interactions.
With the information obtained from the investigation of the single-cell analysis methods, it was clear than such analysis methods at the single-cell level are necessary to understand cell behavior and nanoparticle-cell interactions. However, current methods, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and microscopy, have some disadvantages, such as being labor-intensive and can affect nano-bio interactions. Therefore, we used flow cytometry (FCM) as a label-free technique to enhance our knowledge of nanoparticle-cell interactions. To understand how 100 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) affect cellular behavior, we incubated the NPs with RAW 264.7 cells to examine the change in granularity. Upon confirming this change, we wanted to investigate how using different nanoparticles and cell types can impact nano-bio interactions. Our results show that larger nanoparticles increase the side scattering (SSC) readings, hence the complexity of cells. Next, we performed a kinetics analysis experiment to understand how the uptake of NPs influences cells over a period of 24 hrs. We found that NP uptake increases with time but reaches a plateau at higher NP concentrations towards the end of the investigation period. Additionally, we investigated if the endocytosis pathway for Heparosan (HEP)-coated 100 nm AuNPs can be determined. Despite using inhibitors from different pathways, we have not been able to confirm which pathway HEP-coated 100 nm AuNPs get uptaken by
Auditory and Musical Experience: Perception, Emotion and Expression
No full textIn this dissertation, I address two questions about auditory and musical experience: (1) How can music (a set of organized sounds) be heard as expressive of emotions such as sadness or happiness? (2) How are sounds (not limited to musical sounds) and their sources related to each other? Regarding the first question, my focus is on the experience of musical expression: what it is like to experience music as cheerful or anxious, for example. I argue that our so experiencing music is based on experiencing a feeling while attending to the relevant qualities of an expressive piece or passage of music. I suggest that to hear the flow and continuity of music, we feel an inner movement, and this feeling sometimes leads us to attribute emotions to music. This is a version of a so-called arousal theory of musical expression, but a merit of my proposal compared with previously defended arousal and cognitive views is that it can explain better how attending to musical properties results in hearing music as expressive. The second question of the dissertation relates to the problem of how when we hear sounds, we hear them as being of things and events in our surroundings (we can hear, for example, the sound of a metal bar being struck, a wooden door being knocked, a violin being bowed, and so on). How should we explain this relation between a sound and the thing it is a sound of? I argue that a sound is a property of an object and the event it participates in to make that sound. In other words, a sound is a complex property instantiated by an object and the relevant (sonic) event. For example, when I hear the sound of a violin being bowed, I hear properties of the instrument and properties of the bowing of the instrument’s strings in that sound. An advantage my theory has, particularly over the event and property theories of sound in the literature, is that it can explain more convincingly how sounds give us perceptual access to the things and events they are sounds of. I will also sketch a future research direction based on applying my theory of sound to explore the content of musical experience, what we hear by hearing musical sounds in a piece of music
The effects of acute melatonin supplementation on central and peripheral responses in healthy humans during sympathetic stimuli
Get PDFThere is evidence that melatonin has more functions other than regulating sleeping tendencies such as anti-hypertensive and antioxidant functions, however how melatonin exerts these functions is unknown. PURPOSE: To determine if acute melatonin supplementation alters central and peripheral responses to mild hypovolemia at rest and during rhythmic exercise in healthy humans. METHODS: 8 healthy young adults (23±3, 3 females) participated in a randomized, single blind, crossover protocol. Subjects ingested 5 mg of melatonin (MEL) or placebo (mint water) as a sublingual spray 30 minutes before data collection. Cardiovascular variables (SV, TPR, and HR) measured by ECG and finger photoplethysmography, and vascular hemodynamics (FBF and FVC) measured by doppler ultrasound during –20mmHg stimulus from LBNP and rhythmic handgrip exercise. Paired t-tests were performed to compare data between conditions, significance was set as p ≤0.05. RESULTS: Data are presented as mean±SD. No significant differences were found for SV (P:102.80±31.08 vs M:102.08±21.68, p=0.78,r=0.07), TPR (P:102.00±31.57 vs M:102.16±18.53, p=0.89,r=0.04), FBF (P:217.70±112.41 vs. M: 213.99±148.39, p=0.89,r=0.04), or FVC (P:180.47±93.19 vs. M:179.40±119.93, p=0.67,r=0.11) during exercise, except a significant decrease in HR in the MEL condition (P:74.58±10.09 vs M: 68.69±7.79, p=0.03,r=0.56). There were no significant differences found for SV (P:87.28±24.61, vs. M:91.02±23.24, p=0.58,r=0.14), TPR (P:112.70±35.43 vs. M:112.11±23.33, p=1.00,r=0.00), FBF (P:224.48±119.69 vs. M:229.46±147.33, p=0.48,r=0.18), or FVC (P:180.95±88.93 vs M:188.67±119.73, p=0.58,r=0.14) during exercise with LBNP except a significant decrease in HR in the MEL condition (P:78.08±11.76 vs. M:71.06±9.34, p=0.05,r=0.49). CONCLUSION: Our data indicates that melatonin does not alter central or peripheral responses in healthy humans during sympathetic stimuli
Paleoecology of the Moreno Hill Formation (Turonian-Coniacian, Cretaceous) of New Mexico
Get PDFThe Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution was a period of diversification of all major terrestrial groups that coincides with the rapid evolution and establishment of angiosperms (flowering plants) that began ~125 million years ago. The Moreno Hill Formation (MHF) was deposited over a two-million-year span of time during the late Early Cretaceous (90.9 Ma-88.6 Ma) and is a near-shore terrestrial deposit, except for a marine incursion near the base of the formation. The Moreno Hill Formation coincides with the first peak of angiosperm diversity in the Cretaceous. A moderately diverse vertebrate fauna has been recovered from the MHF including several members of Dinosauria. To better understand the ecology and climate of the formation, I analyzed four fossil wood specimens—three from the lower member and one from the upper member—to determine the taxonomic relationships of those woods, and the climate during deposition of the Moreno Hill Formation. On the basis of character analysis, all four specimens are assigned to Cupressinoxylon sp. aff. C. manuelli. The growth habits of the woods from the lower member and the wood from the upper member were found to be different suggesting a change in climate from the lower member to the upper member. I also developed a new method for the analysis of palynodebris (acid-resistant organic remains) using samples that were collected from the upper member of the Moreno Hill Formation. I utilized the Malvern Morphologi G3 morphometric microscope and its associated software. My new protocol to automate collection of palynodebris data was compared to data collected by conventional analysis in order to evaluate the method’s efficacy. I then used both data sets to interpret changes in taphonomic signatures that could affect interpretation of paleoecological data from the Moreno Hill Formation
Healthcare providers’ motivations and challenges when communicating about sexual health with individuals with intellectual disabilities
Get PDFPatients with intellectual disabilities face additional challenges due to fears of health literacy (i.e., the ability to seek, understand, and utilize health information) and communicative competence. The taboo nature of sex has limited the communication surrounding sex for individuals with intellectual disabilities, including education, prevention, biological components, disease, and more. The limited communication about sexual health and the more significant challenges present when communicating have placed individuals with intellectual disabilities at a higher risk for sexual consequences. The current study examines providers’ motivations and motivators when communicating with individuals with intellectual disabilities about sexual health to understand the role healthcare providers contribute.
Nine healthcare providers were recruited for the current study; participants included OBGYN, family medicine, and women’s healthcare physicians. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews lasting 30-45 minutes, asking participants about their experiences in the clinic while communicating with patients with intellectual disabilities. Data was gathered using audio recording and transcribed to be coded using grounded theory methods presented by Charmaz (2014).
Findings suggest that providers communicate with patients with intellectual disabilities about sexual health when one of three motivations exists within a clinical. The motivators for providers are patient initiation, provider observation, and normative practices, which initiate the conversation about sexual health. After initiating the conversation, five contextual factors exist to determine how the provider communicates with patients with intellectual disabilities. The four motivators are patient cognitive abilities, patient verification, third-party verification, and provider interpretation. Potential future directions for the current findings are continued research examining patients with intellectual disabilities, the ability to initiate the conversation the motivators when enacted by individuals with intellectual disabilities
Detecting latent bloodstains through primers designed to block stains, and paint plus primer mixed paints using Bluestar® Forensic
Get PDFThis study was conducted to determine if a paint plus primer or a primer designed specifically to block stains would affect the efficacy of Bluestar® Forensic, a blood enhancement reagent, through varying layers of paint. Very little research has been done on Bluestar® Forensic within the forensic science community, meaning research into its limitations is still in its infancy. This study focused on a dark colour vs a light colour, spatter vs swipe patterns, and four different brands of paint. Sixteen two-foot by two-foot pieces of sheetrock were purchased and sorted into two equal groups. Eight of them were used for swipe pattern testing and eight were used for spatter pattern testing. Within each group of eight, two pieces of sheetrock were put together to create a two-foot by four-foot panel. Each piece of sheetrock was split into one-foot by one-foot sections. Each row was assigned a different paint and or primer. Starting at the left, the first one-foot by one-foot square was split into two control squares, and then in each square from left to right thereafter, each paint was applied with one layer, then three layers, then five layers. Ultimately, there was one two-foot by four-foot panel for light coloured paint plus primer, one two-foot by four-foot panel for dark coloured paint plus primer, one two-foot by four-foot panel for light coloured stain blocking primer, and one two-foot by four-foot panel for dark coloured stain blocking primer for each pattern tested (spatter and swipe) for a total of eight two-foot by four-foot panels. The goal of this study was to determine the limitations of Bluestar® Forensic using commonly available paints and/or primers found in any local hardware store. This study found that visually, the dark colour was more effective in concealing bloodstains. The paint plus primers were visually less effective than the stain blocking primers when using a light colour. The concentration of blood applied to the surface, via swipe over spatter, did make a difference in Bluestar®'s ability to detect the hidden bloodstains with the lighter colour
A Creative Time: Goal Setting, Prioritizing, and Time Constraints on Information Gathering
Get PDFThe creative process model developed by Mumford et al. (1991) is a valuable framework for understanding the fundamental processing operations required for creative problem-solving. Of the eight processes outlined in the model, the information gathering stage has historically received less attention (Mumford, Baughman, Supinski et al., 1996), limiting our understanding of ways to improve information gathering and resulting creative solutions. Extending on prior research, the present effort examines how goal setting (performance vs. learning), prioritizing (key facts vs. anomalies), and time constraints (present vs. absent) can influence information gathering and subsequent creative performance. Findings suggest that while imposing a time constraint can detract from the quality of information gathered, setting a performance goal coupled with the absence of a time constraint can lead to higher quality of information gathered. Results also reveal a moderated mediation effect of goal setting and time on creative performance through the quality of information gathered. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Keywords: creativity, creative problem-solving, information gathering, goal setting, prioritizing, time constraint
A landscape in flux: many paths to modernity in eastern Iowa, 1780-1910
No full textWhile its history is often forgotten, the Upper Mississippi River Valley Region, including eastern Iowa and western Illinois, has a multiracial, turbulent, and violent past. This dissertation will examine the history of eastern Iowa between the American Revolution and the early 1900s, arguing that the region was defined not by continuity but by change. Eastern Iowa shows that state formation often took place in the absence of federal power, not because of it. This study examines the various forms of “maverick statecraft”—or extralegal methods of state formation—that ultimately created eastern Iowa as it exists today.
State formation in eastern Iowa is not a story about a strong federal government imposing its will on a colony. In fact, the federal government was often the weakest of many powers trying to exert control. The Meskwaki dominated the region up until 1832. They successfully joined global markets by mining lead and hunting for furs. Under Meskwaki leadership, the region was mostly peaceful and white miners and traders were allowed to cross the river only under specific circumstances. In a brief show of power, the federal government toppled the Meskwaki regime in 1832. This created a power vacuum in which “Iowa” as we know if was created. White squatters, land speculators, Latter-day Saints, and various iterations of the local, territorial, state, and federal governments all sought to impose their will on the state formation process. Squatters, people with no legal right to the land, ultimately proved victorious in most of these conflicts. The importance of “maverick statecraft” in eastern Iowa demonstrates the limits of federal authority in state formation in the American West and points to larger trends in nineteenth-century America
Anthropogenic impacts: bringing multi-omic approaches to niche construction theory
No full textAnthropogenic effects on the environment, ecology, and biodiversity of animals are not exclusive to the Anthropocene but extend deep into antiquity. In fact, many archaeologists and historical ecologists argue that the complex interplay between humans and their environment for the past millennia have shaped the Anthropocene. Archaeologists, in particular, have long recognized humans as the ultimate niche constructors given their ability to significantly alter the environment to meet their needs, which in turn creates and influences other natural selective pressures. Such effects have been observed within early human-animal interactions and the resulting transition to animal domestication. In addition, it has been argued that these early human alterations to both our environment and animals fostered the rise in zoonotic diseases. New biomolecular tools and advances in the “-omics” coupled with the archaeological record can provide meaningful snapshots in time to address how humans have facilitated changes to domestication patterns and consequentially animal health and the spread of zoonotic diseases. As such, this dissertation research takes a theoretical, methodological, and data driven approach to address human-animal interactions and the long dynamic nature of anthropogenic disruptions. The impact of this dissertation is threefold: increasing our understanding of human-made environmental impacts, increasing the recognition of natural history collections and biorepositories as valuable resources to address historical shifts in biodiversity and ecologies due to human activity, and the incorporation of microbiome data in broadening our understanding of human-animal interactions. As a result, this dissertation research offers a transdisciplinary approach that will fill the gap in studies of past human-animal interactions