Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
Not a member yet
42035 research outputs found
Sort by
Haunted ecologies: Limits of narratability and the Anthropocene Gothic in South Asian literature
No full textThis dissertation examines how South Asian postcolonial novels disrupt the epistemic and narrative structures inherited from Enlightenment thought and the realist novel to articulate the disorienting experience of living in the Anthropocene. Exploring the Anthropocene as a geohistorical epoch as well as an ideological construct shaped by the Enlightenment’s epistemological investments in rationality and mastery, I argue that the Anthropocene resists assimilation into stable narrative forms, generating a profound tension between the demand to tell stories of planetary crisis and the unrepresentability of the Anthropocene experience. Postcolonial novels from South Asia respond to this impasse by deploying what Rebecca Duncan terms the Anthropocene Gothic. I advance Duncan’s concept and treat it as a mode of narrative disruption marked by haunting, epistemic collapse, and affective excess. The texts I analyze utilize these narrative disruptions to produce texts in flux that grapple with the anxieties of representation itself. In doing so, they refuse the totalizing frames of stable narratives rooted in causality and instead offer narrative forms that foreground epistemic uncertainty, affective disorientation, and the uncanny. Crucially, these novels draw on indigenous epistemologies foregrounding alternative modes of knowing. By centering relational ways of engaging with the world, they expose the limitations of universalist, human-centered narrative of the Anthropocene. In so doing these texts open space for plural ways of storytelling and imagining the planet; ways that account for the uneven histories of colonialism and ecological violence that have shaped the current planetary crisis. The postcolonial novel thus becomes a site of epistemic refusal, offering a form in flux that grapples with the anxieties of representing ecological crisis while refusing to collapse diverse experiences and knowledge systems into a singular planetary narrative. Ultimately, this project foregrounds the need to read ecological crisis as a site of ongoing epistemological contestation, where postcolonial literatures reimagine how we tell stories about planetary crisis, loss, and survival
Development and distribution of a pathogenic neogregarine (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) in monarch butterflies
No full textThe pathogenic neogregarine Ophryocystis elektroscirrha infects the hypodermal tissues of monarchs (Danaus plexippus). However, the life cycles, development, distribution, and pathology of these parasites are poorly documented in monarch hosts. To evaluate this, we exposed 15 2nd-instar monarch butterfly caterpillars to 200 O. elektroscirrha oocysts obtained from monarchs collected in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Exposed 4th instar caterpillars and/or 8 and 11 day old chrysalises were fixed along with unexposed controls and processed for histology. Additionally, the abdomen of one infected and one unexposed control adult monarch butterfly was prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results indicate that we did not find any developmental stages of O. elektroscirrha in caterpillar stages. Still, we detected immature and mature oocysts of O. elektroscirrha in 8 and 11-day-old chrysalises and/or adult stages of monarch butterflies. Both immature and mature oocysts were distributed on the cuticle of chrysalises, and mature oocysts were distributed on the cuticle of adult butterflies. The majority of oocysts were located on the surface of the cuticle and below the scales, but also surrounding the cuticle of the reproductive structures, including the egg chamber in female chrysalises, the aedeagus in male chrysalises, and the adult monarch butterfly. These observations provide a plausible mechanism for maternal and sexual transmission of this parasite. Additionally, our SEM investigation of the adult monarch butterfly’s cuticle revealed numerous oocysts embedded in the cuticle, indicating host pathology (cuticle damage). Because previous studies suggest that infected monarch butterflies lose weight more quickly than uninfected individuals, damage to the cuticle in adult butterflies by the oocysts of this parasite might explain the drastic weight loss observed in infected adult monarchs. The implications of our hypotheses are discussed in the context of monarch butterflies’ unique biology and conservation efforts
Religious individualism vs. authority: Influencing attitudes towards LGBTQ rights
No full textThis study examines the influence of religion on public opinion regarding LGBTQ rights, focusing on attitudes toward same-sex marriage, religiously based service refusals, and anti-discrimination laws. Using data from the 2021 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) American Values Survey, the research investigates how distrust in religious authority, religious affiliation, and religiosity shape these attitudes. The study employs ordinal logistic regression to analyze the ordinal nature of the dependent variables, controlling for demographic factors such as political affiliation, gender, race, education, marital status, and age.
Key findings reveal that distrust in religious authority significantly predicts stronger opposition to religiously based service refusals and greater support for same-sex marriage, aligning with the concept of religious individualism. Religious affiliation also plays a critical role, with Evangelical Protestants exhibiting the most conservative views, while secular individuals and liberal religious groups show stronger support for LGBTQ rights. Religiosity, measured by frequency of religious service attendance, correlates with opposition to LGBTQ rights, reinforcing traditional teachings. Surprisingly, political affiliation does not significantly influence attitudes once religious factors are accounted for, suggesting religion mediates political effects. Demographic variables such as gender, education, and race further shape opinions, with women, highly educated individuals, and younger respondents more likely to support LGBTQ rights.
The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the tension between institutional religious authority and individualistic interpretations of faith, which can foster progressive attitudes. It underscores the need for policymakers and activists to consider religious individualism as a pathway to inclusivity. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, which precludes causal inferences, and the measurement of religious individualism. This study advances understanding of the interplay between religion, personal autonomy, and social attitudes toward LGBTQ rights in contemporary society
Exploiting epigenetic pathway to target colorectal cancer stemness
No full textHIV-1 Tat-interactive protein of 60 kDa (TIP60) is a lysine acetyltransferase protein that can acetylate histone and non-histone proteins. TIP60 is a haplo-insufficient tumor suppressor gene, however, studies have identified a dual role of TIP60 as both an oncogene and a tumor suppressor. This study highlights TIP60’s role in regulating colorectal cancer (CRC) stemness. The depletion of TIP60 resulted in a marked decrease in cellular proliferation, highlighting TIP60’s involvement in the progression of CRC. Additionally, the loss of TIP60 impacted colony formation, transitioning from densely packed structures to dispersed spindle networks along with the loss of E-cadherin, indicating its role in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Three-dimensional culture models suggest that TIP60 is vital for spheroid formation, highlighting its importance in maintaining cancer stem cell (CSC) properties in CRC. TIP60-depleted cells showed increased invasion in a 3D basement membrane extract (BME) invasion matrix, demonstrating its essential role in cellular invasiveness. Mechanistically, the reduction of TIP60 resulted in a decrease in CD44 expression, a critical marker for CSCs. Notably, CD44 overexpression restored the efficiency of spheroid formation and cell proliferation while reversing the EMT phenotype.
Furthermore, we have identified that TIP60 harbors intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), which are crucial for liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in CRC. TIP60 contains three IDRs: 59-164, 376-396, and 452-461. Deletion mutants identify that IDR 59-164 is critical for forming biomolecular condensates (BCs). The region responsible for BC formation contains two putative acetylation sites, K135 and K137. The mutation of the two lysine residues K135 and K137 confirms that both residues regulate the properties of LLPS. Our study demonstrates that post-translational modification at both lysine residues is essential for forming BCs. Furthermore, we identified that TIP60 IDR 59-164 is essential for spheroid formation in CRC. This finding indicates that TIP60-driven BC formation regulates cancer stemness in CRC. Developing the TIP60-CD44 axis as a therapeutic target to treat CRC stemness and metastasis will help decrease the burden due to the deadly disease
UAV states estimation and wind field reconstruction
No full textWith the advent of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) borne sensing has added improved accuracy in wind estimation for various applications like meteorological research, environment monitoring, aerial navigation for commercial air-taxi and military operations. In dynamic and unpredictable environments, accurate wind estimation is very crucial for navigation and mission planning. Small UAV with its low cost sensor and agile maneuverability offers lucrative platform for point-wise wind sensing thus as a whole estimating the complex flow field. This paper presents a comparative evaluation of three state estimation methods for a small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The algorithms were the conventional extended Kalman filter (EKF), a symmetry-exploiting invariant EKF (IEKF), and a physics-informed neural network (PINN). This study is the first work to implement a PINN for fixed-wing UAV state estimation. The IEKF leverages the UAV’s motion symmetry on the Special Euclidean group SE(3) to improve linearization and convergence over the standard EKF. In contrast, the PINN estimator integrates flight sensor data with the UAV’s known dynamics by training a neural network. Training data for PINN was collected from the simulation over various trajectories, including straight line and helix. A composite loss function was formulated to penalize deviations (residuals) from the governing physics. The trained PINN was implemented on in-plane turning trajectory for state estimation. For model based wind estimation same estimation algorithms has been used. Under the simulation environment, this work shows the superiority of PINN over the EKF and IEKF for wind estimation as well. Nonlinear least square method is applied to find the wind field parameters for both atmospheric boundary layer and Tornado (Rankine) field with multiple UAV measurements. The work shows the effectiveness of IEKF over EKF due to it’s convergence property of Jacobian matrix by leveraging the inherent symmetry of the UAV dynamics. On the other hand, auto differentiation on Neural Network estimation coupled with physics infusion provides best estimation for both state and wind among these three algorithms
Effects of an invasive plant on mycorrhizal fungi in the tallgrass prairie and detection by hyperspectral imagery
No full textTallgrass prairies are degraded ecosystems vulnerable to invasion. Lespedeza cuneata (sericea) is an invasive plant overtaking prairies through biological mechanisms, such as abundant seed production, associations with nitrogen-fixers, and allelopathy. Using above-to-below-ground linkages, sericea can alter the composition of below-ground microorganisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF boost plant success by improving nutrient uptake, defense, and growth in exchange for carbon. A homogeneous AMF composition from sericea monocultures could continue degrading prairies. However, prescribed fires are a common management method used in prairies to control sericea invasion. As prairies are heterogeneous with variations in plant composition and edaphic conditions, large-scale studies are needed to understand ecosystem-level invasion effects. We combined hyperspectral imagery with vegetation and soil fungal datasets for this large-scale study.
We studied sericea invasion at the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. Plant surveys assessed invasion levels across 100 plots from which soil samples were collected to determine belowground characteristics. Soil samples were sieved to extract spores. Fungal DNA was extracted from each soil sample using a Qiagen PowerPro Soil Kit and was sent for DNA sequencing using Illumina sequencing and fungal-specific primers. From this, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were filtered and clustered. Total spore counts and DNA read numbers were analyzed using regression analyses. A multivariate test analyzed spore and OTU composition. A Mantel test determined if hyperspectral imagery detected changes in spore composition, and a linear regression tested if hyperspectral diversity correlated with spore abundance.
Sericea invasion significantly altered the communities of AMF, and marginally lowered the diversity of symbionts. Burn did not affect sericea invasion but did alter fungal communities as well. Nitrogen was increased by sericea invasion, and this greater nitrogen content also changed the fungal community. Hyperspectral diversity was significantly correlated with spore abundance. These results indicate that sericea significantly alters fungal communities of tallgrass prairies across large spatial scales, and hyperspectral imagery detects certain changes. AMF improve plant success, and when interactions are disrupted, native diversity is worsened. Our results demonstrate the potential for hyperspectral imagery to detect invasion and below-ground impacts
Effects of the metaboreflex on motor unit behavior profiles
No full textMuscle metaboreflex activation (MMA) is a physiological response to metabolite accumulation during sustained contractions, leading to increased sympathetic nervous system activity. While the cardiovascular effects of MMA are well studied, its systemic influence on motor unit (MU) behavior remains unclear. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of MMA, induced at the upper arm, on MU behavior of the contralateral, non-occluded vastus lateralis (VL). METHODS: Sixteen participants (21 ± 2 yrs; 179.27 ± 7.39 cm; 84.87 ± 13.42 kg) performed maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of the right knee extensors. Participants then completed isometric handgrip MVCs of the left hand, followed by a 2-min 30% MVC isometric handgrip contraction. For MMA, arterial occlusion of the left arm (≥ 250 mm Hg) was initiated during the final 10 sec of the 30% MVC, and remained applied during a subsequent 40% MVC trapezoidal knee extensor contraction. For the control (CON) condition, no occlusion occurred. Conditions were randomized. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from the VL during the knee extensor contractions. For the 40% MVCs, EMG was decomposed to extract MU recruitment thresholds (RT), action potential amplitudes (MUAPₐₘₚ), and mean firing rates (MFR). EMG amplitude (EMGRMS) during the 40% MVC was normalized to MVC EMGRMS (N-EMGRMS). MMA was confirmed via mean arterial pressure changes (ΔMAP). Y-intercepts (y-ints) and slopes were calculated for the MUAPAMP and MFR vs. RT relationships. Seven paired t-tests compared ΔMAP, y-ints, slopes, and N-EMGRMS between conditions (α ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: There were no differences for y-ints or slopes from the MUAPₐₘₚ or MFR vs. RT relationships. However, ΔMAP (MMA = Δ21.75 ± 13.75 mm Hg, CON = Δ41.98 ± 17.73 mm Hg; p < 0.001) and N-EMGᵣₘₛ (MMA = 43.37 ± 7.76%, CON = 48.32 ± 11.91%; p = 0.015) differed between conditions. CONCLUSION: MMA at the upper arm decreased N-EMGᵣₘₛ of the VL, without altering MU recruitment or firing rate patterns. Thus, less input excitation was required to maintain the same submaximal torque during MMA, while the similar recruitment and firing rate patterns may suggest increased motorneuron excitability. Evidence is provided that MMA has a systemic effect on MU behavior
Church is no place for children: A chapbook
No full textThis collection of poetry was written throughout my time as an undergraduate with different pieces selected from all eight semesters of this generative yet tumultuous period of life. As a result, I hope the collection represents the magnitude of personal development I have experienced over the last few years, and reflects how the process of constructing the self often revolves around the deconstruction of identities and ideals forced on us in childhood. For me, my value had always been confirmed by satisfying the moral high ground I thought I possessed as a Christian and by fulfilling my duties as the perfect daughter (aka the perfect woman in training). Then, I stopped believing in God. My moral high ground slipped out from under my feet and suddenly there was no rubric through which I could judge myself or cement my value, not as a woman or daughter, not even as an individual. Faced with this crisis of self, all on my own, I am thankful I once again turned to poetry for meaning and clarity, for purpose and amnesty through the grief I felt, not just for the loss of my eternal life, but for the life I had lived up to the point of disbelief
Investigating native bees in roadside habitats in the Southern Great Plains
No full textNative bee populations are declining due to habitat loss and fragmentation, with roads contributing to habitat isolation. Roadside habitats, particularly rights-of-way (ROW), may offer refuge for pollinators, but their role in supporting bee communities is not well understood. To explore this, I investigated the relationship between road type, habitat characteristics, and pollinator communities along roadsides in Payne County, Oklahoma. I conducted 24-hour pan trap surveys assessing the richness and abundance of solitary native bees compared to road type, plant community characteristics, and vegetation cover. Road type had no significant effect on bee richness or abundance. However, habitat features, such as blooming forb richness, forb cover, and bare ground, were positively associated with higher bee abundance, while greater grass cover was linked to lower abundance. Greater litter cover was associated with increased bee richness, whereas flower abundance and forb cover were associated with lower richness. These findings highlight the importance of diverse and heterogeneous habitats for pollinators along roadsides. I also compared the abundance of live and dead large-bodied bees (Bombus spp.; Xylocopa virginica) along two-lane and four-lane undivided highways. Both dead and live bee abundance was significantly greater along two-lane highways. Increases in forb cover and flower abundance were associated with greater live and dead bee abundance. Additionally, adjacent land-use types influenced bee populations: non-bee-pollinated land was linked to greater live and dead bee abundance, while open water was associated with a reduction in live bee abundance. These results suggest roadside habitats play a complex role in supporting pollinators, with forb presence and flower availability being important. Finally, I examined the foraging behavior of two native bumblebee species, Bombus pensylvanicus and Bombus griseocollis, in roadside habitats. Both species collected pollen from multiple plant taxa, with B. griseocollis showing greater specialization. Floral preferences differed: B. pensylvanicus favored introduced plants, while B. griseocollis preferred natives. Additionally, body size and pollen load weight were significantly correlated for B. griseocollis, but not B. pensylvanicus, suggesting factors like time of capture or pollen grain size may influence pollen load weights. These findings underscore the importance of floral diversity in roadside habitats for supporting pollinator communities
Assessing agricultural communications students’ conflict modes before entering the workforce
No full textAs students at Oklahoma State University are preparing to graduate and enter the workforce, many do not understand how they handle conflict or what their dominant conflict mode is. With 62 participants enrolled in a agricultural communications professional development course, the research explores three key areas: prevalent conflict styles, relevant student demographics, and potential influences from upbringing. Results indicate that accommodating and avoiding are the most common styles, aligning with trends typically seen in entry-level professionals. Over half the students misidentified their own dominant styles, suggesting a gap in understanding how they handle conflict. Demographic and upbringing data show that many students came from rural areas and households where conflict was often avoided or addressed only when necessary. These findings underline the importance of conflict style awareness in preparing students for professional environments that require assertive and collaborative communication. The study recommends integrating conflict resolution training permanently into curriculum and highlights the potential of the TKI as a tool for enhancing student self-awareness and workplace readiness