Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Annual report, Extension Division: Oklahoma A. & M. College, 1924-1925
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
Preparation of recombinantly expressed T-cell Receptor-Protein α (TCRα) for structural studies
No full textT-Cell Receptor Protein (TCR), a single-pass transmembrane protein found in T-cells, is involved in the signaling pathway in immune response. TCR binds antigens, activating the T-cell through signal transduction. The two chains of the receptor, alpha and beta, connect through a disulfide bond. While this is an essential protein for the immune system, the function and structure of TCR is not fully understood because the hydrophobic transmembrane region makes it difficult to study in typical sample conditions. Hydrophobic proteins like this receptor must be incorporated into detergent or lipid environments to run experiments that are commonly used to determine their function and structure. Our lab is developing methods to incorporate this hydrophobic protein into samples so that we can use Electron Resonance Spectroscopy (EPR) to study these properties. For this work, we are concentrating on expressing and purifying the alpha chain (TCRα). To run EPR on TCRα, we must attach a nitroxide group to the protein. TCRα was mutated at four positions, in four separate sequences, to replace a wild-type amino acid with a Cysteine residue. These Cysteines will form a thiol linkage with the nitroxide group. This presentation will explain the methods used to express, purify and concentrate Alanine 18 to Cysteine (A18C) and Lysine 14 to Cysteine (L14C), for the preparation of samples that can be measured by EPR
Emulated borehole heat exchanger – current state of development of test rig for the assessment of TRT units
No full textShallow geothermal energy already is and will be playing a major role in achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. When designing geothermal energy systems, it is crucial to know the thermal conductivity of the underground as well as the thermal borehole resistance, besides further parameters. A thermal response test (TRT) is the method of choice for determining these values. Therefore, two teams in Sweden (Gehlin) and the USA (Spitler) developed TRT rigs in the 1990s. Since then, there have been numerous instructions and recommendations on how to execute testing, including the correct equipment, procedure, and evaluation of results, for example ISO 17628:2015, EN 17522:2023, VDI 4640 Blatt 5. However, currently there is no established method for testing TRT units and procedures to assess their functionality and quality. Therefore, an emulated borehole heat exchanger (E-BHE) for TRT unit quality assurance was developed and built at ZAE Bayern. It emulates the thermal behavior of a real borehole heat exchanger (BHE). Different borehole lengths, single and double U-pipes, as well as various underground properties, can be set. This allows for testing different TRT units within a short time span and with reproducible boundary conditions. The E-BHE uses the so-called EWS model by Huber. First tests underline the importance of using consistent models for TRT evaluation and BHE system design
Anaerobic gut fungi in tortoises: Exploring community structure and characterizing novel genera
No full textAnaerobic gut fungi (Neocallimastigomycota) are a basal fungal phylum that inhabit the digestive tracts of mammalian herbivores. Here we uncovered their presence in non-mammalian hosts, specifically tortoises. Culture-independent surveys identified a unique community of anaerobic gut fungi within tortoises, with three novel deep-branching genera representing >90% of sequences in 9 out of 11 fecal samples from nine tortoise species. Representatives of these genera were successfully isolated under strict anaerobic conditions. Twenty-nine fungal isolates were obtained from tortoises, revealing two distinct clades with significant sequence divergence from their closest cultured relative. These isolates have been characterized and proposed as two novel genera (Testudinimyces and Astrotestudinimyces) characterized by broader temperature growth ranges and distinct morphological features, including filamentous hyphae, polycentric rhizoidal growth patterns, and monoflagellated zoospores.
Transcriptomics-enabled analyses suggest an ancient evolutionary divergence of these tortoise-associated anaerobic gut fungi, estimated at 104-112 million years ago. This pushes the establishment of animal-Neocallimastigomycota symbiosis from the late to the early Cretaceous period. The tortoise-associated anaerobic gut fungi exhibited limited capacity for plant polysaccharide metabolism and lacked genes encoding several carbohydrate-active enzyme families. This reduced metabolic capacity is attributed to the scarcity of horizontal gene transfer in tortoise-associated anaerobic gut fungi genomes compared to their mammalian counterparts. These findings shed light on the phylogenetic diversity, ecological distribution, evolutionary history, fungal-host nutritional symbiosis, and gene acquisition dynamics within Neocallimastigomycota.
The identification of these deep-branching genera in tortoises suggests a broader range of host associations for anaerobic gut fungi than previously recognized, altering our understanding of the co-evolutionary dynamics between these fungi and their hosts. This research emphasizes the importance of exploring non-mammalian herbivorous hosts to fully comprehend the ecological and evolutionary significance of anaerobic gut fungi
Assessing dietary quality of collegiate track and field and cross-country athletes and relationship to performance
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine the dietary quality (DQ) and nutrient adequacy of athletes in track and field only (TF) and athletes in both track and field and cross country (TF & CC) and determine the relationship between the nutrient adequacy and DQ of diets and physical performance of TF and TF & CC athletes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was completed using 55 athletes. Tools included ASA24 24-hour food recall, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015, and Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), as well as looking at soft and hard tissue injuries, handgrip strength, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score. RESULTS: The average (standard deviation, SD) HEI score of participants was 66.9 (SD 14.79). There was a significant difference between male and female average HEI scores (p=0.003). Fifty-five percent of athletes were within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for carbohydrates, 100% for protein, and 47.3% for fat. A significant difference was seen in the number of soft and hard tissue injuries between participants within and not within AMDR range for carbohydrates (p=0.026). Multiple significant correlations were seen between mean hand grip and % kcal for macronutrients, % DRIs met, and HEI total and sub scores, including vitamin C % (r=-0.365, p=0.035), iron % (r=0.349, p=0.005), HEI total score (r=-0.311, p=0.021), total fruit score (r=-0.308, p=0.022), whole fruit score (r=-0.312, p=0.021), and refined grains score (r=-0.286, p=0.035). Significant correlations between PSQI scores and % kcal for macronutrients, % DRIs met, and HEI total and sub scores included folate (r=0.389, p=0.035), copper (r=0.289, p<0.001), magnesium (r=0.232, p=0.035), and potassium (r=0.385, p=0.023) % DRI met. CONCLUSION: Diets of TF & CC athletes need improvement in terms of overall DQ and macronutrient adequacy. Assessing and intervening to improve DQ may be beneficial for improving athletic performance. However, the HEI alone may not be the best tool to use for athletes in its current form. Overall, some results of this study did indicate a potential relationship between DQ and performance factors, but further research is needed to determine the extent of that relationship with a more appropriate DQ scoring system
Recognition and control of vegetable diseases
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
Influence of sad affect induction on self-reported personality traits and personality functioning
No full textSelf-report measures are an effective and popular tool for assessing the latent constructs in personality and personality pathology. However, external biasing effects such as temporary affective states might impact this assessment method. The current project examined the effect of a sad affect induction on self-reports of the five-factor model domains, facets, DSM-5 Section III maladaptive traits, and personality functioning domains. One hundred and forty-two (Mₐ₉ₑ = 19.52; SD = 2.14) adult psychology undergraduates were randomized into a control or sad condition. Findings indicated limited effectiveness of the induction procedure, in reducing positive affect and increasing negative affect and sadness beyond the control condition. Despite the limited effectiveness of the induction procedure, small mean differences were demonstrated among the FFM domains, facets, and maladaptive trait variants. This result was particularly pertinent for the maladaptive traits and facets. Additional implications of the findings regarding affect induction methods and other biases that may impact self-reports are discussed
Becoming Maddie's mother: An autoethnography on learning to mother with birth trauma
No full textThis autoethnographic study on my transformative experiences as a mother living with birth trauma offers important contributions to existing feminist literature by further complexifying mothering narratives and adding to mothering-as-educative scholarship. Autoethnography uses reflexive, analytic, creative and iterative approaches to create new insights into cultural experiences through analyzing personal experiences (Ellis, 2004). I examined my mothering experiences through both an internal and external gaze, holding them up against social norms about motherhood, my own photographic interpretations, my medical records and transcripts of therapy appointments, and myriad other theoretical touchstones to analyze my self-in-culture. Self-reflections about my experiences led to new personal awareness as I did sensemaking work about my early matrescence (auto-). My analysis also amplified my understanding of the ways sociocultural gender and mothering norms shaped my experiences, and the broader ways learning during matrescence is represented, ignored, and mis/understood (ethno-), especially following a traumatic birth.
Since most birth trauma and NICU scholarship is in the field of nursing rather than education, I chose not to focus on the ways my experiences aligned with the prevailing trends in existing research. Instead, I analyzed how my trauma and healing manifested in ongoing, embodied ways as I considered my inquiry into the intersections of learning, social positioning, mothering and trauma, using my inquiry questions of “How did I live, mother, and survive following Maddie’s early birth?” and “How did I learn and choose what was best for me after a traumatic birth?” Through writing to inquire (Richardson & St. Pierre, 2005) as a method, I was able to surface and affirm invisible aspects of my experiences that I struggled to make understood, even to myself, and begin to heal from the embodied consequences. I encountered structural dynamics at work about how mothers might go about their healing and sensemaking as I did, but more importantly my work affirms what all mothers deserve: the space to heal, bear witness to, and validate their own trauma and healing as a process that occurs over time, and for others to see and understand matrescence that includes birth trauma in multidimensional ways
Relationship of different bacterial strain food source qualities on Caenorhabditis elegans
No full textIn most research regarding the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) the food source used to feed the worms is Escherichia coli (E. coli) not for the actual quality of the bacterium but because of its abundance and accessibility in the laboratory setting. The C. elegans have a preference for higher quality food sources which can lead to better growth and movement of the C. elegans. The use of different bacterial strains that vary based on quality, from high to low, would explain the movement of the C. elegans, and could be used to test the willingness of the worms to travel for a better food source. The smaller microbial size of the bacteria would promote easy uptake for the C. elegans which could also lead to greater movement to high quality source. The three bacterial strains used in this study are as follows; Escherichia coli (E. coli) which is described as medium quality, DA1877 Comamonas which is described as high quality, and DA1880 Bacillus megaterium which is described as low quality. The C. elegans will be kept in maintenance on circular agar plates E. coli as their standard food source. There will be three different bacterial strains that will be placed on the trial square agar plates sized 100mm x 100mm. These trial agar plates will contain two of the three different bacterial strains to test movement between the two strains based on their quality. On each of the trial agar plates, the two different bacterial strains will differ in quality to determine the willingness of the C. elegans to move to the “higher” food source. For example, the agar plate will contain high-quality food source on one end and low-quality on the other. These trials will be in replicates of three. The agar plates will contain three L4 stage C. elegans on the plate after the resource has been added and will be incubated at 20°C for 120 hoURS and then counted to understand the distribution and population abundance of the C. elegans.Integrative Biolog
Development of component and system models for a novel residential vapor-compression system integrating water-based thermal energy storage and incorporating both rule-based and model predictive control options
No full textThis work aims to model a novel vapor-compression system (VCS) integrating water-based thermal energy storage (TES) for residential space heating and cooling. The model will be used in studying and evaluating the proposed system's potential in reducing electricity cost, minimizing carbon emissions, and maximizing wind energy utilization. Also, the model will enable studying control schemes and the impact of the future scenarios for electricity generation mix profiles and utility rate structures.
Initially, the work reviews existing technology for VCS integrating water-based TES. This review helps in understanding the current landscape and informs the development of the proposed system. Following this, the potential of water-based TES in shifting space heating and cooling loads is examined through a preliminary study. The study's findings highlight the promising capability of water-based TES in load shifting, with the TES's footprint area being at most 4.5% of a typical single-family house's footprint area.
To enhance connecting TES with VCS, a novel three-fluid fin-and-tube heat exchanger (TriCoil™) has been proposed for integration with a ducted split system (DSS). TriCoil™ has been modeled, simulated, and experimentally validated. Simulation results are promising for TriCoil™ as an alternative to a conventional A-shape heat exchanger for indoor units considering the coil volume-to-capacity ratio.
Building upon the TriCoil™ development, a system simulation suite has been introduced for VCS that integrates TES using TriCoil™. This suite incorporates VCS, TES, and rule-based control models, considering utility rates, building load profiles, and weather data. A parametric study within this suite further explores the impact of various factors like TES size, temperature setpoint, and charging timing and duration on system performance.
To optimize the system's operation, a model predictive control (MPC) has been developed. This MPC manages the system's operational modes to reduce electricity costs, minimize carbon emissions, and improve wind energy utilization by shifting electricity loads. Additionally, the results of a parametric analysis involving the MPC's numerical solvers, TES temperature setpoints, and forecast horizons are presented. Finally, the system's potential is demonstrated through a case study of a single-family house located in Stillwater, OK