Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Prevalence of low energy availability in collegiate softball athletes
No full textChronic and problematic conditions of low energy availability (LEA) have been identified as the underlying cause of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), which is a condition that may lead to impaired physiological function and long-term health consequences. The REDs "spotlight" has often been on endurance and weight-restricted sports, but research in other team sports is limited. PURPOSE: To identify the prevalence of LEA in collegiate softball athletes during preseason and assess differences in health metrics based on risk of LEA. METHODS: Twenty-three females who were 20±2 years old, 165.5±32.5 cm tall, weighed 77.3±12.4 kg and were members of the Oklahoma State University softball team participated in this study. All participants provided informed consent prior to completing a single lab visit consisting of injury history and sleep quality questionnaires, a total body Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan, and a 24-hour dietary recall. The Harris-Benedict equation was used to calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR), with an activity factor of 1.5 to calculate total energy expenditure (TEE). BMR was subtracted from TEE to estimate exercise energy expenditure (EEE). Energy availability was calculated and reflected as kcal/kgLM/day: high risk <30 (n=15); moderate/low risk ≥30 (n=8). Group comparisons were made for anthropometrics, questionnaire responses, body composition, and skeletal health using Independent t-tests and Levene's tests for equality of variances (α≤0.05). RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of athletes were at high-risk for LEA, indicating a high prevalence of this condition in this cohort. LEA groups were similar for anthropometrics, injury history, and most DXA measures (p≥0.131). However, athletes in the high-risk LEA group reported clinically poor sleep quality (5.6±3.1) and lower bone mineral density Z-Scores (0.7±1.1), compared to moderate/low risk who had normal sleep quality (4.3±0.7) and higher Z-Scores (1.4±0.9). DISCUSSION: The results of the current study showcase the high prevalence of LEA in a non-weight restricted and understudied sport. In addition, those at high-risk for LEA suffered worse sleep and displayed lower skeletal health measures, potentially putting them at an increased risk for injury. These findings provide a foundation for future research by exposing interventional targets for at-risk female athletes.Kinesiology, Applied Health, and Recreatio
Instructional coaching in rural schools: A qualitative study of instructional coaching methods and the developmental needs of teachers
No full textBecause they offer feedback and communicate school administration goals to teachers, school districts usually classify instructional coaches as leaders. Balka et al. (2010) discovered that instructional coaches can model lessons or team-teach with teachers to achieve teaching goals. Due to its multifaceted nature, instructional coaching can improve teaching practices or have no effect (Devine et al., 2013; Knight, 2007; Knight, 2009; Woulfin & Jones, 2018). Thus, good instructional coaching requires a supportive teacher-coach relationship. The purpose of this study is to explore, through the lens of Situational Leadership Theory (Hersey & Blanchard, 1988), how successful instructional coaches alter their practices based on the developmental needs of the teacher and the teachers’ motivation for change.
Observations and interviews showed that connections underpin this district's instructional coaching program. Coached maintained relationships, although sometimes they could have been more challenging or nonexistent. Participants said instructional coaches must build connections with the teachers they work with. These partnerships help teachers develop their teaching further.
Interviews and observations emphasized teacher preparedness. Background, teaching style, and willingness to learn affect a teacher's preparation. The background and teaching traits of the teacher also contributed to the readiness level of the teachers. For this study, the theoretical lens of Situational Leadership Theory was used to examine the readiness levels of the teachers (Hersey & Blanchard, 1998). The four readiness levels addressed in Situational Leadership Theory are willing and able, unwilling but able, willing but unable, and unwilling and unable.
This research focused on the specific leadership styles each instructional coach used, as found in the data and as explained by Situational Leadership Theory; they must shift between four modes of leadership: delegating, participating, selling, and telling. The instructional coaches each used different leadership styles for different situations
Physiological and morphological traits affect contemporary range expansion and implications for species distribution modeling in an amphibian species
No full textSpecies range shifts due to climate alterations have been increasingly well-documented over the last century. The ability of species to persist and/or shift their range in the face of climate change is largely determined by intraspecific variation, which has not been rigorously incorporated into standard species distribution models when projecting habitat suitability under climate change. Furthermore, amphibians are one of the most sensitive groups of animals to environmental perturbations due to climate change, however, almost no studies have offered evidence of poleward distribution shifts in this taxon in response to climate warming. I studied the role of intraspecific variation in the ongoing range shift of green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) in response to climate change. I explored factors that are often associated with range shifts (thermal tolerance and dispersal morphology) to test the hypothesis that there would be differences in these traits between recently range-expanded and nearby historical H. cinerea populations. I then tested whether intraspecific variation quantified at a larger scale would affect the accuracy of SDMs for H. cinerea by splitting their range into smaller populations clustered by ecoregion and compared model accuracy with a traditional species-level SDM. I found that historical and expanded populations differed significantly in the relationship between latitude in both critical thermal minimum (CTₘᵢₙ) and thermal breadth (CTₘₐₓ-CTₘᵢₙ). Additionally, I found that expanded populations exhibited longer leg lengths relative to body size when compared to their historical counterparts. Lastly, I found higher model accuracy for intraspecific- than species-level SDMs, which indicates the importance of accounting for intraspecific variation when modeling species distributions. My results suggest that thermal tolerance and dispersal morphologies are associated with amphibian distributional shifts as these characteristics appear to, in part, facilitate the rapid expansion of a native anuran. Additionally, my modeling results emphasize that considering intraspecific variation is important for improving projections of amphibians in response to climate change and is likely true in other taxa. Future research should further examine the types of trait variation that could be used to parameterize intraspecific SDMs
Engagement and performance: Evaluating genre knowledge in tech-mediated writing courses
Get PDFResearch publication is a necessary step in contributing knowledge across disciplines and participating in discipline-specific communities. In its importance, effective dissemination of research requires a specific rhetorical outline to suit the needs of the published research writing. The technical nature of the research writing genre creates a barrier for many researchers attempting to publish their work. Misunderstanding the conventions of the genre, students may produce less effective writing that prevents them from publishing. Writing workshops offering reading and writing support with a tech-mediated class design can assist students in gaining a deeper awareness of discipline-specific research writing genres for publication. The 4-week writing workshop in this study was facilitated through Canvas and Dissemity, an AI learning platform utilizing the CARS model for genre-based learning (Swales). The workshop took users through five modules that let students explore the requirements of a research introduction, learn its necessary rhetorical moves and steps, and apply what had been learned. Canvas allowed students to reflect on the modules and how they felt about the activities. Weekly, students engaged in Dissemity module activities paired with learning module videos before writing one reflection post and two replies to peers in Canvas. In the final week, students provided a final introduction draft for peer review that was revised based on course lessons and activities. In this study, we sought to determine if differing levels of engagement with the course affected students’ genre acquisition. We measured students’ course completion across the weeks and analyzed the content of the discussion posts, module activities, and peer review for the final drafts. The analysis of written content was a combination of thematic, sentiment, and move/step analysis. The similarity of initial and final introduction drafts and the presence of metalanguage in peer review were also assessed. Students were found to vary in engagement, and increased levels of engagement seem to lend to the improvement of genre awareness, evaluation, and production. The patterns highlight the importance of collaborative learning activities and digital tools for learning genres, as well as the need for collaborative engagement in tech-mediated writing courses.Englis
Influences of concrete repair materials on crack performance
Get PDFCracks allow outside chemicals to penetrate concrete and cause rebar corrosion and concrete durability issues. Repairing cracks can greatly extend the durability of concrete. This study assessed the effectiveness of silane combined with corrosion inhibitors for treating cracks in concrete of different orientations and widths. Key findings show that silane can penetrate and coat cracks on horizontal and vertical surfaces. These insights show that silanes with corrosion inhibitors are useful to repair cracks on horizontal and vertical surfaces and care should be taken to the molecular structure of the silane when choosing the material to use. This work also examines the performance of eleven different silanes with different molecular structures and different diluting agents. The findings indicate that undiluted silane with a slow hydrolysis rate shows superior performance. The performance of the silane is hypothesized to be controlled by the hydrolysis rate of the silane molecule. Moreover, this work examines the performance of seven repair materials (two silanes, one methyl methacrylate, three epoxies, and an epoxy plus additive) and their ability to prevent water from penetrating cracks of various widths. In addition, tests were done where the crack was first treated with silane and then epoxy. This work shows the time needed for outside chemicals to penetrate a variety of repair products. Analysis is also done to determine the amount of time that water must be kept out of a crack on a flat surface. All repair products investigated were able to stop water from penetrating 0.010” cracks and smaller but the product performance varied at larger cracks with the epoxy plus additives able to seal cracks up to 0.050” in width
Protein concentration of winter wheat varieties in Oklahoma, 2023–2024
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
OER at OKState: Centering faculty expertise
No full textIn 2013, the Oklahoma State University Libraries included a commitment to open practices as part of its mission and strategic plan. In the years following, the Libraries created and filled a full-time OER librarian position, secured a subscription to an online content creation and publishing platform, and set aside consistent funding in order to shift from a series of project to development and implementation of a sustainable program. As of 2023, all incoming freshmen students have the option to take at least one general education course that does not require purchase of commercial materials. In this session, Kathy Essmiller will share how the OpenOKState program comes alongside faculty and students to help curate, modify and create research, teaching and learning resources to enact the university's commitment to research and student success.Librar
Influence of resistance training on self-efficacy and other factors in aging adults
No full textExercise benefits older adults by decreasing fall risk, maintaining activities of daily living, and lengthening lifespan. Previous studies have shown positive correlations between self-efficacy and exercise; however, more research is needed in older adults. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of an 8-week, resistance-training program on older adults’ self-efficacy and functional health. METHODS: Twenty older adults (mean age= 62 years ± 8.1) provided voluntary informed consent prior to engaging in the Stay Strong Stay Healthy (SSSH) Program. SSSH includes 8 resistance training movements targeting all major muscle groups during 60-minute sessions, twice weekly for 8 weeks. Functional health assessments including a ten-meter walk test (10mWt), 30-second sit-to-stand (30STS), five times sit-to-stand (5STS), standing medicine ball toss (SMBT), timed-up-and-go (TUG), and sit-and-reach (SnR) were performed pre/post SSSH. Additionally, validated questionnaires on self-efficacy for exercise, falls efficacy, physical activity (min/wk), and sleep quality were completed. Paired t-tests with Bonferroni corrections were used to assess change over time and Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated. Pearson correlation was used to observe relationships between self-efficacy and other questionnaire results, α=0.05. RESULTS: Paired t-tests with Bonferroni corrections showed the whole group improved sleep quality, 10mWt without challenge, 30STS (Figure 1-A), SMBT (Figure 1-B), TUG, and SnR (Figure 1-C) over time (all p ≤0.012, d ≥0.3). Further, high self-efficacy scores were positively correlated with total physical activity (r= 0.681, p=0.001) and aerobic activity (r=0.719, p<0.001) and negatively correlated with fear of falling scores (r=-0.529, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: These data reveal that SSSH can improve self-efficacy, physical activity habits, and functional health in older adults, suggesting that the program is efficacious
Home grounds beautification
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
β-glucan primed and DYDGP microparticles treatment induces trained immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infected human macrophage: An in-vitro/in-vivo studies
No full textTuberculosis (TB) remains a persistent global health challenge, prompting the exploration of innovative strategies to enhance prevention and treatment outcomes. Host-directed therapies have emerged as a promising avenue in TB management, potentially reshaping current treatment paradigms. This study investigates the efficacy of β-glucans as immune-training agents to strengthen the host's defense mechanisms against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.Physiological Science