Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Neoliberal film schools
No full textThis dissertation explores the neoliberalization of higher education and its impact on practice-based film education. Thanks to neoliberalism—a political economic practice characterized by an emphasis on free-market capitalism, limited government intervention in the economy, and the promotion of individual and corporate self-interest—film schools are recognized by the film industry, and in some cases regional economies, as essential infrastructure for industrial practices and economic development. Thus, the film industry and governments have become major financial contributors to film schools and assisting curriculum reorganization to privilege industry and economic concerns. Understanding neoliberalism’s impact on education, film schools have also promoted themselves to the industry to amass financial assistance. Film schools under neoliberalism, then, can be understood as complicit sites of knowledge and labor production for practices preferred by industry as a means of survival. However, there cannot always be a one-to-one correlation between the values of a film school and its students. Film school students can and often do negotiate their film school education, if not outright oppose it. Case studies in this dissertation include major film schools situated in U.S. universities, like University of Southern California (USC) and New York University (NYU), to outline the concept of a neoliberal film school, before turning to community college film schools situated in regional film industries, like Georgia and New Mexico, to underscore how they function as infrastructure for the so-called post-Fordist film industry and their region’s economic redevelopment. Finally, the dissertation turns to a reconceptualization of international film schools under globalization accelerated by neoliberalism. Globalization discourses allows scholars to re-evaluate previous assumptions about nation and film schools to understand how some institutions and their students may operate with different missions than that of the nation-state—or how some schools originating as nation-state projects have morphed under the specter of neoliberalism
Immunopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 variants in a feline model
No full textSARS-CoV-2 is a rapidly spreading virus that causes immune disturbances leading to cytokine storm and eventually organ failure. The advent of new technology, vaccines, and antiviral drugs has helped to mitigate the spread of the causative virus, but the development of severe disease still exists; and there are gaps in the development of animal models that accurately re-capitulate viral pathogenesis and disease progression as in humans. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive literature review of the origin, mutation, pathogenesis, potential treatments and role of animal models of SARS-CoV-2. Chapter 2 of this dissertation details the validation of the feline model for SARS-CoV-2 infection, which resulted in successful outcomes and provided a foundation for optimization. Chapter 3 sought to further develop experimental methodology and better understand the infection kinetics and immunopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 (Delta variant) in cats to evaluate potential immune modulatory gene targets. Chapter 4 aims to demonstrate the potential therapeutic significance of targeting interferon-1 immunomodulatory genes using siRNA to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection. Collectively, this research underscores the significance of the feline model in COVID-19 research for the development of effective treatments. It also highlights the importance of understanding immune responses and identifying novel potential targets for intervention, thereby paving the way for future investigations in this field
Social capital in rural America: A critical evaluation of the influence of social networks on community risk reduction and firefighter recruitment in the Oklahoma Panhandle
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the influence of social networks on recruitment of firefighters and community risk reduction activities in a diverse rural community in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Social capital theory provides the framework for the role of interactions, social trust, and communication in building relationships within groups, between groups, and between community groups and local government organizations. Research indicates that bonding, bridging, and linking social capital can contribute to the effectiveness of risk reduction activities. Community-based programs have highlighted the role of social capital in risk reduction. However, research on the relationship between social capital and fire department initiatives is very limited. This research utilized a single case study to explore the role of social capital in the effectiveness of rural fire department recruitment of firefighters and community risk reduction initiatives. Guymon Oklahoma Hispanic citizens and firefighters were interviewed about interactions with the fire department and firefighters. Interview questions focused on the impact of those interactions on social trust of the department, and how that social trust influenced decisions on risk reduction behaviors. Participants identified four major themes in the interviews: 1) strong bonding social capital is present as a community, 2) strong bridging and linking social capital exist in the community from individuals belonging to multiple social groups and networks, 3) social groups and networks are interconnected from shared membership of Hispanic citizens, and 4) bonding, bridging, and linking social capital are required to educate members of the Hispanic community on community risk reduction issues. The key findings from the study are that 1) social capital creation in a community must be intentional on the part of the fire department, 2) firefighters have opportunities during planned and unplanned interactions to build social trust, communicate the role of the fire department, and create bridging and linking social capital, and 3) children are effective conduits of information to and from the Hispanic community. The findings have implications for how rural fire departments approach engaging immigrant groups and networks in order to create relationships and improve effectiveness of risk reduction and firefighter recruitment initiatives
Regulation of the Type III Secretion System by PtsN in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
No full textThere are many virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa that contribute to this opportunistic pathogen's ability to evade the immune system and persist during drug therapy. Previous studies recognized the protein PtsN of the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (Nitro-PTS) as having a connection to virulence in P. aeruginosa by impacting biofilm levels through an unknown mechanism. Preliminary transcriptomic sequencing data identified that PtsN differentially regulates another virulence factor: the Type III Secretion System (T3SS). The T3SS is a needle-like protein structure embedded in the membrane of many Gram-negative, pathogenic bacteria. This protein complex gives bacteria the ability to inject effector proteins directly into host cells' cytoplasm, increasing the pathogen's ability to colonize the host. My research utilizes luciferase reporter strains to measure the activity of promoters of T3SS genes identified in transcriptome data. These experiments will observe the effect of PtsN on T3SS gene expression, help determine if PtsN is a novel regulator of T3SS in P. aeruginosa and develop a hypothesis for how PtsN interacts with the regulatory proteins that control the expression levels of the T3SS
Determination of presence of ADAMTS7 in several human cell lines
No full textBackground: According to studies, ADAMTS7 is associated with coronary atherosclerotic diseases. To understand the regulation of ADAMTS7, we have cultured the following laboratory available human cell lines to 3 or 4 passages: Hela, Human gingival fibroblast (HGF-1), Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), and Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). These passage numbers are important because genetic and phenotypic changes will be less during early passages. After having 70 to 80% confluency, media was changed to Freestyle media and harvested after 48 hours of conditioning to do Western blotting. During the Western blot technique, primary antibody will bind with ADAMTS7 if this enzyme is present in the specific cell culture media. This process will help to understand the cell type and the amount of ADAMTS7 present in the cells. Method: We took the cell lines such as Hela, Human gingival fibroblast (HGF-1), Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from cryogenic liquid and grew into T-25 flasks in DMEM or F-12K media with additives respectively. Aftersubculturing 3 to 4 passages into the T-150 flask, we replaced themedia with Freestyle media when the cells are 70 to 80% confluent. We harvested the media, added biotin to 10ml, and took samples of the biotinylated and non-biotinylated media for Western blotting. Then 25 ml conditioned media was concentrated by using viva spin columns and a sample of the concentrated media was taken for Western blotting. Result and Conclusion: Western blotting with the concentrated, unconcentrated and biotinylatedmedia to determine the expression of ADAMTS7 in specific human cell lines. Additionally, we will study that which cell lines are appropriate for ADAMTS7. We will further study the localization of ADAMTS7 by using imaging and microscopy
DOE Collegiate Wind Competition: Cyclon Cowboys project development preliminary report
No full textThis report is one of the reports submitted by the Oklahoma State Wind Competition team to the DOE Collegiate Wind Competition. This report is for the Project Development portion of the competition. The project development team is tasked with designing a hypothetical offshore wind farm in the Great Lakes. This report covers our preliminary design and decisions. Next semester, what we have so far will be further developed and a financial analysis will be done
Effects of a 5-week cognitive stimulation program among participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia
No full textThe aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of a curated cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) program for participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or different stages of dementia living in a local Midwest assisted living facility. With the growth of the geriatric population, more people are likely to develop either MCI or dementia later in life. Therefore, it is important that healthcare professionals including speech-language pathologists (SLPs) create and examine possible benefits of cognitive interventions to help delay and/or minimize effects of cognitive deficits among older adults. The CST program utilized in the study was based on existing literature about cognitive areas that are most relevant to address among older participants with MCI or dementia.The CST program was five weeks in duration with sessions twice a week for a total of 10 sessions. Sessions were 45-60 minutes in duration. There were 10 participants total split into appropriate groups: three participants in a mild-moderate cognitive group, six in a moderate-severe cognitive group, and one as a control participant. The participants were assessed a week before and after the CST program using the same set of assessment measures. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to determine the severity of cognitive deficits among the participants. In addition, the study included reading subtests of the Arizona Battery for Cognitive-Communication Disorders and a short version of the Boston Naming Test. The assessment battery also included the self-report Geriatric Depression Screener and the EuroQoL as the quality-of-life (QoL) screener.Although there were no statistically significant differences between the two treatment groups, descriptive analyses showed that participants with mild-moderate and some with moderate-severe dementia demonstrated relatively improved cognitive scores at the end of the CST program. Some of the naming and reading assessments were not as sensitive in capturing participants’ actual level of functioning, as evident with ceiling effects. Overall, the results indicated CST could be a beneficial nonpharmaceutical treatment for people with MCI or mild to moderate dementia. Additional studies with larger sample sizes and with participants of different levels of functioning are warranted to understand the impact of CST programs better
Effect of packaging type and extended frozen storage on the color and lipid oxidation of ground beef patties
No full textFrozen ground beef patties have more shelf-life than raw patties. However, limited knowledge is currently available on the use of modified atmospheric packaging to retain color during extended frozen storage. The goal of this study was to examine the impacts of various packaging and freezing on color and lipid oxidation of ground beef patties. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the effects of modified atmosphere packaging during extended frozen periods on the color and lipid oxidation values of ground beef patties (Objective 1) and the cooked color of ground beef patties (Objective 2), and the effect of carbon monoxide exposure time prior to freezing on the color and lipid oxidation of ground beef patties packaged in CO-MAP (Objective 3). Two separate experiments were conducted to understand color changes within frozen patties (objectives 1 and 2) and characterize carbon monoxide exposure time on frozen and thawed patties color (objective 3). For experiment one (objectives 1 and 2), ground beef was prepared from chuck muscles, and randomly assigned to four different packaging methods: vacuum, polyvinyl chloride overwrap (PVC), HiOx-MAP, and CO-MAP. Following packaging, patties were frozen at -5ºC and stored for 0, 3, 90, and 180 days. The results for this experiment indicate that the use of CO-MAP can increase the overall color and color stability of frozen ground beef patties during freezing through the formation of carboxymyoglobin and the mitigation of lipid oxidation (Objective 1) while increasing cooked redness and color stability and mitigating the risk of premature browning at the conclusion of frozen storage (Objective 2). In experiment 2, ground beef, packaged in CO-MAP, was exposed to carbon monoxide in refrigerated storage for 0, 24, 28, 96, or 120 hours prior to freezing for 3 days. The results indicate that greater carbon monoxide exposure prior to freezing helped to improve the redness of freeze-thawed patties (Objective 3). Therefore, the current study suggests that the adoption of CO-MAP over extended frozen storage with exposure to CO-MAP prior to freezing could result in improved color and stability while mitigating the risk of lipid oxidation and premature browning
Investigation in sociodemographic factors associated with caregiver strain
No full textBackground: Caregiver distress is the strain experienced by individuals providing care for people with chronic physical or mental health conditions which limit their self-sufficiency for tasks of daily living. More than 1 in 5 Americans are caretakers of a family member or friend with a long term disability–a number expected to increase with an aging population.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis using the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine rates of depressive disorders among caregivers and associations between demographic and relational-aspects of the care recipient.Results: The included sample size for analysis was 32,676, representing 17,274,935 caregivers in the US. Our analysis found caregivers who responded female (6008, 29.71%), earning less than $15,000 a year (837, 41.47%), did not complete high school (555, 31.56%) or had some college with no degree (2904, 29.45%), and American Indians (216, 35.18%) had the highest rates of a depression diagnosis within these categories. Furthermore, the odds for having a diagnosis of a depressive disorder is higher among caregivers if the care recipient has a mental disorder, substance use disorder, asthma, or a chronic respiratory condition compared to caregivers of individuals with infirmity or frailty due to old age. Lastly, we found that compared to individuals providing care for their mother, individuals providing care to their mother-in-law or spouse were less likely to have a diagnosis of depression and those caring for their live-in partner were more likely to have a diagnosis.Conclusion: Our findings add to previous research showing specific groups of caregivers are at higher risk for caregiver stress which may lead to depression. More specifically, we found that depression is more likely to occur among individuals caring for live-in partners and among care recipients who have mental health or substance use disorders or chronic respiratory conditions such as COPD. This may be due to the need for more closely supervised care, as well as the risk for hostility or impulsivity of the care recipients. In addition to these prevalences and associations, qualitative research may elucidate underlying trauma among caregivers. Analysis into the demographic risk factors for the development of depression amongst caregivers is vital in providing effective therapeutic options for the care recipient and educational opportunities for the caregiver, both at the individual and community level
Differing outcomes: An exploration of regional approaches to the historic preservation of small-town county courthouses
No full textToday about 66 percent of the 3,113 U.S. counties and county equivalents have courthouses listed on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). As the largest class of the country's National Register-listed public buildings, historic county courthouses provide a dataset for comparing state historic preservation approaches. Despite their listings, and often after some local disagreement, each year many National Register-listed courthouses are altered to the extent that they could lose their National Register status. Since 2000, more than a dozen National Register-listed courthouses have simply been demolished.County courthouses were among the earliest public buildings in the United States to be surveyed, nominated, and listed on the National Register following its creation by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). As with other federal resource protections, the implementation of the NHPA is federally-funded and carried out by each state's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Since they were created, states have varied in their administration and support of SHPOs. This state-by-state variation has led to divergent agency dynamics and uneven application of the NHPA's objectives. As an honor roll, the National Register is designed as a federal conservation tool to incentivize public and private interests to uphold the integrity of their historical resources (buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts). Generally, an historic resource's integrity is a measure of authenticity of historical appearance; major alterations may extinguish a resource's integrity and forfeit National Register status.Recognizing this state-by-state administrative divergence, this study employs a qualitative approach to examine six case studies of state and local preservation decision-making and outcomes in five U.S. states. The cases selected involve rural counties with National Register-listed courthouses requiring repairs substantial enough that state and local authorities were faced with decisions to raze/replace the buildings, historically rehabilitate them, or something in between. All were difficult state and local decisions that pitted pragmatic solutions against costly preservation options. Each also involved some local support of NHPA preservation goals to rehabilitate the courthouse in an historically appropriate manner. While not all were successful, each case details how public buildings are substantially connected with a sense of place, and how the successes and failures to protect them may produce lasting implications for communities. The empirical results allow the construction of three models of state-local interaction and decision-making to illustrate how certain conditions and approaches lead to expected preservation outcomes