Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Exploring the relationship between multiplicative double counting stage and multiplication fluency level: A mixed methods study
No full textTeachers spend a considerable amount of time and effort teaching students the basic combinations for multiplication facts, however, learning these facts continues to be a major stumbling block for many elementary students. Student’s fluency with multiplication facts is perhaps one of the most important objectives of teachers in grades three through five because of the impact it has on their comprehension of mathematics concepts introduced in these grade levels, such as fractions. Students continue to leave fourth and fifth grade with little to no multiplicative reasoning or understanding and this impacts them for years to come. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine fourth and fifth grade students’ stages of multiplicative double counting (mDC), (2) examine fourth and fifth grade students’ multiplication fluency levels, (3) determine if there was a correlation between mDC stage and multiplication fluency level, (4) determine the reasoning strategies used by students at each mDC stage, and (5) understand how the mental operations available to students at each stage support their fluency with multiplication facts. To address the questions, 28 fourth grade students and 31 fifth grade students from a rural midwestern elementary school were assessed on mDC stage and multiplication fluency level and then 13 students from each mDC stage were interviewed. The results demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between mDC stage and multiplication fluency level. Second, a student’s mDC stage was moderately related to the fluency strategy they chose when solving multiplication problems. Lastly, the mental operations of the anticipatory mDC students allowed them to demonstrate more efficiency and flexibility when solving multiplication problems, therefore increasing their fluency level. These findings suggest that a student’s ability to reason multiplicatively is positively associated with their ability to be fluent with multiplication facts and that increasing students’ multiplicative reasoning will likely increase multiplication fluency
Exploring the effect of reciprocal teaching with multilingual students in Belizean elementary schools
No full textReading Comprehension is one of the key skills that supports the child's overall learning progress. Belize is a developing country striving towards the development of its educational system. The primary purpose of this research study was to determine the effects of reciprocal teaching with multilingual students in Belizean elementary schools. A quasi-experimental pre-post study design was implemented to hypothesize the effect of Reciprocal Teaching in reading comprehension in reading test scores of Standard 3 and Standard 4 Multilingual students after a 10-week intervention. The data was collected using IBM SPSS Statistical Software version 2023. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed. Results from the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to answer research 1 and 2 to observe if there was a significant mean difference in multilingual students reading posttest scores between those who received reading instruction through Reciprocal Teaching versus those who did not, controlling for the pretest scores and if there was a significant mean difference in students reading achievement posttest scores between boys’ and girls’ who engaged in Reciprocal Teaching strategies after controlling for the pretest scores. The research study concluded that Reciprocal Teaching reading intervention had a significant positive effect on students' reading achievement. Recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are suggested
Effect of the geothermal heat flux on vertical ground heat exchanger performance
No full textGround heat exchangers (GHE) are typically modeled using a simplifying assumption: the mean ground and atmospheric temperatures are assumed to be equal to the ground temperature halfway down the length of the borehole. This paper examines the impact of this assumption on vertical ground heat exchanger performance. A numerical model using a finite volume method is developed to simulate the performance of ground heat exchangers. The model takes into consideration the effect of the geothermal gradient, varying surface temperatures, inlet fluid temperatures or energy extraction loads over long periods of time. Results from the first comparison show that the geothermal heat flux provides more energy to the GHE than the outside environment and that over long periods of operation, the geothermal heat flux establishes itself as the main energy source. Moreover, the existence of a geothermal heat flux diminishes the effect of continuous heat extraction on the natural ground heat flux profile and therefore, infers a more sustainable exploitation of the energy resource. Results from the second comparison show that inadequate GHE dimensioning in both cooling and heating can occur if the geothermal heat flux is not considered. However, using simple approximations to the ground temperature profile that consider the geothermal heat flux can lead to accurate heat exchange calculations
Determining the contribution of Nrf2 dysfunction in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and its impact on obesity induced sympathoexcitation
No full textObesity is a chronic disease that significantly increases the risk for hypertension and heart disease. Increased sympathetic nerve activity has been implicated as a key player in the pathogenesis of obesity-induced risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying increased SNA in obesity are not clear. The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is a key brainstem region that plays an important role in regulating sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). Oxidative stress and inflammation in the RVLM are believed to be key factors in obesity-induced sympathoexcitation. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory genes and confers cytoprotection against oxidative stress. Preliminary findings from our lab suggest that high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in C57BL/6J mice results in Nrf2 dysfunction, which likely causes maladaptation to oxidative stress and inflammation in the RVLM. Yet, the mechanistic role of Nrf2 dysfunction in the RVLM in obesity-induced sympathoexcitation is not clear. The primary goal of my Ph.D. research is to investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting Nrf2 signaling in the RVLM for obesity-induced sympathoexcitation. In the first set of studies, we tested whether Nrf2 in the RVLM is amenable to modulation using pharmacological means. Sulforaphane, a Nrf2 activator, effectively increased Nrf2 levels and attenuated obesity-induced oxidative stress in the RVLM, which could have implications for obesity-induced SNA. In the second set of studies, we used genetic means using lentiviral vectors to specifically overexpress Nrf2 in the RVLM and investigate its effects on obesity-induced cardiovascular parameters and SNA using a HFD-induced obese mice model. Nrf2 overexpression effectively reduced oxidative stress in the RVLM and mitigated obesity-induced SNA. Overall, our studies indicate that Nrf2 is a potential therapeutic target for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the obese population
Drivers of willingness to consume carbon-friendly beef and plant-based meat
No full textUnderstanding behavioral and demographic factors determining the consumption of meat alternatives is critical in the context of sustainability. We used a representative sample of 430 US consumers to collect data on consumption behavior related to standard meat alternatives. Opinions and beliefs, past actions, and consideration of future consequences are behavioral factors, and age and political affinity are demographic factors affecting the likelihood of eating sustainable meat alternatives, namely, carbon-friendly beef and plant-based meat. The findings highlight the need for increasing environmental awareness of beef production and target marketing for growing consumption of such alternatives to conventional meats
4-H Forestry manual
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
Quantifying public interest in Merkel Cell carcinoma in the United States following the death of Jimmy Buffett and implications for continued health advocacy
No full textBackground: September 01, 2023, marked the loss of iconic singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett after a lengthy battle with lymphoma precipitating from the non-melanoma skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). MCC is an aggressive non-melanoma skin cancer with high metastatic potential, often resulting in poor prognoses and a significant cause of skin cancer-related deaths. Given Buffett’s prominent status, media coverage of his death was extensive. Thus, our objective was to quantify public search interest in skin cancer, MCC, and related risk factors before and after Buffett’s death, with the objective of emphasizing the influence public figures and subsequent media coverage have on public health-related topics.Methods: Relative search interest (RSI) data from Google Trends was used to perform a temporal analysis. We extracted (RSI) for search terms “skin cancer,” “Merkel cell carcinoma,” and “health effects of sunlight exposure” in the United States from August 02, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Auto-regressive integrated moving algorithm (ARIMA) models were constructed to forecast RSI if Buffett’s death had not occurred, based on 30 days prior. Actual RSI was compared to forecasted trends in RSI during analysis.Results: Our study found that search interest for “skin cancer”, “Merkel cell carcinoma”, and “health effects of sunlight exposure” significantly increased among U.S. users following the announcement of Buffett’s death. Peaks in RSI occurred two to three days following his death, correlating with major news outlets’ reporting of the event. Notably, RSI values for ‘skin cancer’ and ‘Merkel cell carcinoma’ saw 1,059.42% and 21,968.97% increase, respectively, above expected values. ‘Health effects of sunlight exposure’ exhibited a 95.79% surge.Conclusion: Through Jimmy Buffett’s unfortunate battle with lymphoma originating from Merkel cell carcinoma and subsequent media coverage of his death, public interest in skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, and the health effects of sunlight exposure increased as evidenced by our results. Increased public interest in such topics may advance MCC screening and treatment aimed at mitigating unmet medical needs. It is also crucial to address challenges related to sustainability of disseminating accurate information related to health behaviors to the public
Feral swine space use and effects on ecological communities in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
No full textInvasive feral swine (Sus scrofa; hereafter, swine) are one of the most globally successful invasive species, due in part to their generalist tendencies (e.g., diet) and high reproductive output. Estimated to have a negative economic impact of ~$1.5 billion annually in the United States, the economic and agricultural effects of swine have been documented, but there is limited information on their ecological effects. Swine have the capacity to enact a myriad of effects throughout invaded systems, whether through direct or indirect competition with native species, or as a potential novel food source. Due to the behavioral plasticity of swine across systems, our knowledge of general swine patterns is fragmented across numerous regions at different spatial scales. As such, to first understand spatial and temporal patterns of swine we used passive, motion-triggered cameras alongside occupancy modeling to evaluate intraspecific tolerance constraints of adult and piglet swine in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma. We then employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the ecological relationship between swine, coyotes (Canis latrans), and the Wichita Mountains mesocarnivore guild. We found that adult swine space use is unconstrained by the factors we evaluated, but piglets are restricted to areas with gentler topography and lower road densities. Swine have nocturnal and crepuscular behavioral patterns in the refuge, likely due to pressure from culling operations. We also determined that swine do not appear to have a strong ecological relationship with coyotes from a prey or food source characterization. Additionally, swine do not appear to significantly influence the mesocarnivore guild as a whole in the refuge, either directly or indirectly. In the face of global disturbances such as climate change and the spread of invasive species, all environments can be considered trending towards novel, unstable systems. Systems that are already stressed from current disturbance effects may be even more susceptible to further invasion and disruption. As such, understanding interspecific interactions between native and invasive species will become even more crucial for developing efficient management plans as global disturbance shifts previously stable environments towards novel and unknown system states
Your three acres: Conserve, improve and prosper with the soil
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
Study on expansion of air-conditioning area by a hybrid ground source heat pump system for retrofitting an office building to be a net-zero energy building
No full textIn recent years, ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems have become recognized as one of the applications of renewable heat energy utilization and are being installed in buildings to be Zero Energy Buildings in Japan. At an office building in Kitakyushu City, Japan, which has been in operation since 2010, a hybrid GSHP system with 80 m x 50 borehole double U-tube ground heat exchangers and a cooling tower has been installed. The results of more than 8 years of monitoring of the hybrid GSHP system showed that the effective thermal conductivity of the ground was estimated to be 4.5 W/(mK), which was higher than the results of thermal response tests due to the influence of groundwater flow, and that the maximum cooling load was smaller than the design value.
In this paper, the authors attempted to expand the air-conditioning area by the hybrid GSHP system for retrofitting the office building to be a net-zero energy building. Specifically, the air-conditioning area that can be covered by the hybrid GSHP system was investigated by using simulation and giving the heating and cooling loads based on the actual measurements. As a result, it was confirmed that the air-conditioning area by the hybrid GSHP system can be increased three times, and that the air-conditioning area that can be covered by the hybrid GSHP system can be expanded from approximately 20% of the present air-conditioning area to approximately 60%. Then compared to the case where all the systems are ASHP, the reduction in electric energy increases as the area of the building is increased, with a reduction of approximately 13% when the area is doubled and an increase of approximately 19% when the area is tripled