OSU Journals (Oklahoma State University)
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Assessing the Impact of Implemented Safety Culture Recommendations in a Collegiate-Level Flight Training Program
Get PDFThe purpose of this research is to report on the effectiveness of implementing the recommendations that were the outcome of the previously completed research involving the identification of best practices to improve overall safety performance and safety culture within Utah Valley University’s flight training operations.
Prior to the safety culture research that was conducted in 2022, UVU observed an underreporting of safety issues within flight and maintenance operations. There was concern that an insufficient understanding existed related to the impact that safety culture has on safety performance. A survey was conducted across all flight and aircraft maintenance functions and the collected data was analyzed to determine trends and opportunities for implementing related to the safety culture that existed at the time.
Through 2023, recommendations were prioritized and implemented through all flight and maintenance departments. In 2024, another survey was conducted to once again collect data to determine if the implemented recommendations achieved the desired positive change in safety culture, safety performance, and risk mitigation.
The research report identifies and describes the effectiveness of the implemented action plan to improve safety performance through an effective and integrated safety culture. Lessons learned and best practices will be shared to allow other schools to develop and engage an effective safety culture of their own within their flight training programs. 
First Report of Haemogregarina sp. (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) from Razor-Backed Musk Turtle, Sternotherus carinatus (Testudines: Kinosternidae), from Oklahoma, with a Summary of Hematozoans from the Family Kinosternidae
Get PDFGenerally, little is known regarding the hematozoan parasites of turtles in Oklahoma. Here, we report a Haemogregarina sp. from one of two razor-backed musk turtles, Sternotherus carinatus, collected from McCurtain County. The host possessed a single infected erythrocyte containing a bean to ovoidal-shaped gamont. Although S. carinatus has been previously reported, albeit with very limited information with a Haemogregarina sp. from Texas, this is the first time a S. carinatus from Oklahoma has been reported with a hematozoan to include a photomicrograph and information about the infection. We also provide a summary of the hematozoans known from the family Kinosternidae, to date
Noteworthy Parasites (Apicomplexa, Cestoda, Nematoda, Acari) from Plains Leopard Frog, Rana blairi (Anura: Ranidae), from Southern Oklahoma
Get PDFA single adult plains leopard frog, Rana blairi, was collected from Marshall County, Oklahoma, and examined for ecto- and endoparasites. It was found to be infected with an unknown species of Hepatozoon and with trypanosomes of three distinct morphologies. This host also harbored a metacestode (Mesocestoides sp.) in the liver and mesenteries, a nematode (Oswaldocruzia pipiens) in the small intestine, and engorged larval Hannemania dunni and Hannemania hegeneri chiggers in skin tissue. Here, we provide the first report of hemoparasites from R. blairi in Oklahoma, including photomicrographs of the infection. In addition, the chigger H. hegeneri is reported from R. blairi and Oklahoma for the first time
Women in Space: From Historical Trend to Future Forecasts
Get PDFIn the history of space exploration, the gender balance has tended to favor men. However, the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields have increasingly had women represented. This trend is often encouraged nowadays as openness to gender diversity in technology has been realized to be beneficial to the overall level of expertise in the fields, to the economy, and to those wishing to be part of these fields. Astronautics, the occupation charged with the direct human exploration of outer space forms an interesting case study.
Our study shows that the percentage of women throughout the world in the astronautics field and thus involved in space exploration has increased over time. This article explores the contribution of women as astronauts in terms of the percentages of astronauts that are women, the historical trend of increase in these percentages, and the extrapolation of the historical trend to provide foresight into future percentages. We are able to project, assuming the historical trend continues, the possible future increases in percentages of female astronauts worldwide
Ecology of the Harris Mud Crab (Rhithropanopeus harrisii) in Lake Texoma
Get PDFHarris mud crab, Rhithropanopeus harrisii, was first reported in Lake Texoma in 2008. Since that time, very little research regarding this population has been conducted. Goals of this study included determining reproductive periods, noting microhabitat preferences, and documenting the distribution of crabs in Lake Texoma. Six sampling sites were established on the Oklahoma side of Lake Texoma along a transect from the OU Biological Station to near the Denison Dam. Sites were sampled from August 2019 to August 2021. A total of 1,396 crabs were observed with 1,326 collected for analyses. Results indicated a significantly male-dominated sex ratio in the population. Abundance and distribution of crabs varied across the lake, likely due to salinity values and microhabitat availability of each site. Population densities in Lake Texoma were higher than those observed in other locations. Seasonal trends noted the difference in crab frequency during the warm and cool seasons. A rapid drop in lake level during late winter of 2020 provided evidence these crabs migrate to deeper water to take refuge from cold temperatures. The presence of larvae and gravid females suggests a reproductive period from June to October and confirms the successful establishment of Harris mud crab in Lake Texoma
New Geographic Distribution Record for Quillback, Carpiodes cyprinus (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) in the Verdigris River (Arkansas River Drainage) of Northern Oklahoma
Get PDFAirspace Ownership Controversies in the United States: A Concise History
Get PDFOwnership and control of airspace has long been a controversial, confusing, and difficult area of study within aviation law. Throughout the twentieth century, there was copious debate surrounding the rights of property owners and the authority of aviation regulatory agencies to govern airspace. The invention of the airplane and a burgeoning concern about aerial trespass vigorously fueled that debate. In the contemporary context, airspace ownership questions center primarily on debates over low-altitude airspace and subsequent legal remedies available for improper use, illegal entrance, or unwanted occupation of that airspace. This review examines the history of airspace ownership controversies in the United States through an analysis of legal cases, scholarly debates, academic journal articles, and primary sources. The purpose of this paper is to assist aviation scholarly and industry personnel in forming a better understanding of the historical and contemporary debates that have surrounded the question of airspace rights. It is a particularly meaningful time to review this area of aviation legal history because the advent of novel aviation technologies—namely, drones, Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) air taxis—is creating an industry ripe for new airspace ownership and control controversies in the coming decades
Flying Under the Radar: A Survey of Collegiate Pilots' Mental Health to Identify Aeromedical Nondisclosure and Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors
Get PDFThe disclosure of a new or existing mental health condition in a pilot complicates their medical certification status. It has been proposed that the threat of losing medical certification often discourages pilots from seeking treatment for mental health issues or disclosing such information to aeromedical professionals, contributing to a barrier to seeking healthcare that affects pilots of all certification levels. The current study focused on the nondisclosure and healthcare-seeking behaviors of the collegiate pilot population (N = 2,452) at a large, accredited, private institution that offers flight training in accordance with Pilot Schools (2022). Data collected from our anonymous online survey over the course of 30 days found that 56.6% of a sub-sample (n = 232) of collegiate pilots met the criteria for some degree of depression, and 13.8% reported the prevalence of self-injurious or suicidal ideation within the past two weeks. Additionally, 67.7% of the sample (N = 256) expressed concern about seeking care for mental health issues because of potential effects on their medical certification, while 29.3% admitted to withholding mental health information from aeromedical professionals out of concern for their medical certification. The current study found that the same barrier to healthcare present in the airline pilot and military populations is also present in the collegiate pilot population. While previous research has focused on healthcare aversion and nondisclosure in airline, commercial, and military pilot populations, these findings focus on collegiate pilots, a population not accounted for in existing studies. Further studies are necessary to explore additional factors contributing to the pilot healthcare barrier and nondisclosure in aeromedical settings. Â