Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Examination of immune response to SARS-COV-2 in PBMCs and serum
No full textGlobally, there have been nearly 800 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 13 billion vaccine doses administered. These exposures create T-cell and B-cell immune memory responses in individuals that protect against future infections. B-cells create antibodies that circulate in the body and attach to the virus. Memory T-cells recognize and kill infected cells while also recruiting other immune cells. Not all individuals have robust immune memory responses and immunity against SARS-CoV-2 typically declines after 3-15 months. We measured cellular and humoral (antibody) immunity against SARS-COV-2 in four vaccinated individuals in order to investigate a potential correlation between the number of T-cells that are reactive to SARS-CoV-2 peptide and the serum concentration of Sars-CoV-2 antibodies. Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) and serum samples were collected from 4 healthy adult females who had had 3 doses of the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Comirnaty) and at least one confirmed SARS-COV-2 infection. The number of SARS-COV-2 reactive T-cells per 100k PBMCs was determined using ImmunoSpot® Human INF-y Single-Color Enzymatic ELISPOT Assay. Thawed PBMCs were counted for viability and rested overnight (37°C; 5% CO²). The cells were plated at concentrations ranging from 5x10⁵ to 1x10⁵ cells/well, with SARS-COV-2 peptides (Miltenyi Biotech) or pos/neg controls. After an 18-hour incubation, plates were processed according to the manufacturer's protocol to determine the number of IFN-y producing cells. Spots were imaged and counted on a CTL ImmunoSpot® S6 Ultra analyzer, then adjusted to spots per 100k cells, correcting for background activation. The serum concentration of SARS-COV-2 IgG Antibodies was determined using RayBio® COVID-19 N and S1 TND protein Human IgG ELISA Kit. Thawed serum was diluted 1:1500. The ELISA was processed according to manufacturer’s protocol. Optical density (OD) at 450nm was measured using a Synergy 2 microplate and compared to a standard curve. PRISM was used to extrapolate the unknown values of the serum samples and reported in units/mL serum. Although we expected that antibody concentrations and T-cell counts would be positively related to each other, in our small sample, there was no discernible relationship. Furthermore, we expected that the number of days since last exposure (either illness or vaccine shot) would be negatively related to measures of immune memory. Once again, there was no such relationship in our data. These results show that the immune memory response can vary between individuals and that one measurement cannot be used to predict the other. However, due to our small sample size, our conclusions cannot be said to represent the population at large. Both measures of adaptive immune memory are known to peak shortly after exposure and gradually decline over months and years
Role of the MDA5 pathway in host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection
No full textThe COVID19 global pandemic took the world by surprise and spurred a mass interest in antiviral pathways that interfere with the virus's propagation. I wanted to investigate the MDA5 pathway's role in host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection within human lung A549 cells. Successful knock-down of the MDA5 expression using CRISPR-Cas was confirmed through western blotting and Poly IC stimulation assays. Next, viral growth kinetics and quantitative PCR experiments were performed with these cells compared to Cas9 control cells. It was concluded that the MDA5 pathway is responsible for the host antiviral interferon response but does not contribute directly to the control of the virus. It is hypothesized that the MDA5 has synergistic effects with other pathways and future studies to explore these direct control pathways are warranted
Accessing drug candidates via efficient synthetic methods
No full textInfections stemming from antibiotic resistance have recently become a substantial public health concern. Notwithstanding, efforts towards finding and developing novel antimicrobial agents have been unsuccessful. This is because bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa can develop resistance against various antibiotics. Recent studies have indicated that bacterioferritin-bacterioferritin associated ferredoxin (BfrB-Bfd) interaction and the redox cycle (Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺) mechanism are the fundamental machinery responsible for iron homeostasis in P. aeruginosa. Thus, preventing the BfrB-Bfd interaction in P. aeruginosa would result in an irreversible accumulation of Fe³⁺ in BfrB and a deficiency in the metabolically valuable Fe²⁺ in the cytosol. Hence, impairment in biofilm formation and functioning and cell death would be inevitable. This work focused on designing small molecule inhibitors as chemical probes to selectively bind to BfrB at the Bfd binding site to not only stop BfrB-Bfd interaction but also dysregulate iron homeostasis in bacteria. Various potential inhibitors such as analogs of 4-aminoisoindoline-1,3-diones and other heterocyclic derivatives with 2- and 4-atom linker units were successfully made and characterized.
The second part of this work focused on the design of novel methods for an efficient entry into diverse drug candidates. These methods are summarized below:
(1) Domino Nitro Reduction-Friedländer Heterocyclization for the Preparation of Quinolines.
(2) Synthesis and Elimination Pathways of 1-Methanesulfonyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline Sulfonamides.
(3) Domino Aldol-SNAr-Dehydration Sequence for [3+3] Annulations to Prepare Quinolin-2(1H)-ones and 1,8-Naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones.
(4) One-Pot Aldol-SNAr-Dehydration Sequence for [3+3] Cyclizations to Prepare 2-Naphthol and 7-Hydroxyquinoline Derivatives
Speakers summary for Oklahoma Cotton Acreage Reduction Campaign
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
If you have flies you have filth
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
Reflection
No full textThe benefits of a senior design capstone project are immense. Through teamwork, problem solving, and engineering analysis, great achievements are possible
Active forest management adoption behavior of private forest landowners in the Cross-Timbers region
No full textThe Cross-Timbers (CT) region in the southern Great Plains of the United States, is a unique transitional ecotone spanning Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. The structure of the forests in this region has undergone significant changes over time, primarily due to urbanization, fire exclusion, and climate change, leading to a closed-canopy structure with encroachment by fire-intolerant species. Despite being privately owned, there is a lack of active forest management, which hinders the provision of ecosystem benefits. Therefore, understanding landowners’ active forest management behavior is crucial. This study investigated landowner preferences regarding two key forest management practices –– thinning and prescribed burning. I conducted a mixed-mode survey of private landowners in the CT region, following Dillman’s Tailored Design Method. I used a bivariate copula statistical model to identify the factors influencing their willingness to adopt active forest management. Results suggested that landowners’ willingness to adopt thinning and prescribed burning is significantly influenced by forest land holding size, the status of woody plant encroachment, and landowner characteristics, while ownership objectives influenced landowners’ willingness to adopt prescribed burning. Additionally, conceptualized within the frameworks of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model, I used a Structural Equation Model to investigate the relationship between socio-psychological constructs and landowners’ behavioral intent to adopt active forest management. The results indicated that the behavioral intent to adopt both thinning and prescribed burning had a significant positive relationship with norms, attitudes, and past behavior, while the relationship with perceived behavioral control remained statistically non-significant. These findings emphasize the importance of targeted outreach and Extension efforts to foster a supportive environment that enables landowners to adopt active forest management in the CT region
Dietary insulinogenic amino acid restriction and the effect on the glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism in neonatal pigs
No full textMany commercial human infant formulas with a bovine milk-based protein source contain a protein content greater than what is naturally found in human breast milk. Prolonged consumption of protein greater than nutritional requirements in early infancy has been linked to increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by decreased insulin sensitivity and impaired glucose homeostasis. Due to the negative impacts of low-protein diets on infant growth, their use in commercial formula is limited. Alternatively, dietary restriction of insulinogenic amino acids (IAA, i.e., Leu, Ile, Val, Thr, Phe, Arg, and Ala) may be considered. This study aimed to determine the impact of IAA restriction in formula on glucose and lipid metabolism in a neonatal piglet model for human infants. 32 seven-day-old Yorkshire barrows were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatment groups for 21 days: 1) NR: 0% IAA restriction; 2) R50: 50% IAA restriction; and 3) R75: 75% IAA restriction; with each diet being isonitrogenous and isocaloric. After 21 days, all animals were sacrificed, and liver, skeletal muscle, and white adipose tissue (WAT) samples were collected. Using RT-qPCR the expression of glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin signaling genes in target tissues was determined. Data were analyzed with Univariate GLM with Dunnett’s post-hoc (SPSS®). Relative to NR, the R75 treatment group increased the mRNA abundance of key rate-limiting glycolytic enzymes and glucose transporters including hepatic glucose transport 1 (GLUT 1), hepatic pyruvate kinase (PFKL), hepatic pyruvate kinase liver type (PKLR), and WAT glucokinase (GCK). R50 increased the mRNA expression of hepatic and muscular PKLR. Insulin signaling markers significantly improved via increased mRNA of muscular serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT) and insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) when R75 was compared to NR. IAA restriction by 75% increased the mRNA expression of hepatic fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), with R50 increasing the mRNA expression of hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HADH). In conclusion, restriction of dietary IAA improved glucose and lipid metabolism in a neonatal piglet model likely through increasing the rates of glycolysis via upregulation of key glycolytic pathway enzymes, and gene expression of key enzymes involved in lipid metabolism.Animal and Food Scienc
Analysis of body language in political communication
No full textBarring party identification, is the verbal message delivered by a political candidate our primary consideration when determining vote choice? Is it possible that the communicative techniques we evaluate in a conversational situation are parallel to our political evaluations? Given the significance of political positions, voters will place heightened consideration upon the verbal and non-verbal communication of a political candidate in an effort to better determine their capability to hold office, or evaluate the efficacy and/or morality of their proposed policies. The question being answered by this work is as follows; how do the non-verbal communicative techniques of a political candidate alter the vote choice of the electorate
Communication correlation: Determining the link between communication styles and perceptions amongst foster caregivers and foster youth and the potential for future addictive behaviors
No full textThe goal of this qualitative study is to determine whether communication may act as a protective factor for foster families, and whether there are sufficient training and resources available to improve communication skills. Participants include current foster homes that house youth aged 12-19, and former foster youth that are no longer in the foster care system. Participants took a short survey and were then interviewed to gain their perspectives on communication, drugs and alcohol, and current foster care trainings. Former foster youth and current foster parents reported the need to improve communication is great. Former foster youth reported a lack of communication and drug and alcohol training during their time in care. Foster parents perceive foster youth to be at an increased risk of drug and alcohol usage due to their trauma, and each parent agreed that they could benefit from communication skills building training options. Oklahoma’s foster care system would greatly benefit from requiring communication specific trainings, especially to households that plan to house teenage foster youth. The lack of emphasis on effective and healthy communication coupled with the perceived increased risk for foster youth brings to light the need for Oklahoma’s Department of Human Services to assess current training offerings and provide more adequate resources for foster parents and youth alike