Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Engineering unmanned aerial robot collective motions via the science of visually-guided insect swarming
No full textAutonomous aerial swarm platforms often have tight constraints onboard sensing and computational capabilities, presenting challenges to achieving swarm motion coordination, leadership in environments without GPS and radio frequency communication. Flying insects are a model system able to robustly achieve group coordination in dynamic groups using relatively small collections of neurons. This study begins by considering bio-inspired visually-coordinated swarm motions by developing a bio-inspired multi-agent visuomotor sensing and feedback model for dynamic environments based on the insect optomotor response. A theoretical stability proof is developed for the multi-agent model for an individual agent operating in a group of other agents. Robustness analysis is used to develop the “gain modulation hypothesis”, which suggests neural gain modulation in insect feedback paths may support robust group motion stabilization. Stability and robustness are experimentally verified through implementation on two robotic systems. This study then develops a multi-agent switching feedback control framework for motion coordination and leadership based on an engineering model of the insect small-target motion detector (STMD) neurons. STMD neurons in the lobula plate of some insects enable target pursuit, and their role in group motions is not yet understood. The STMD-based engineering model is implemented in simulation and experimental work. The results indicate that feedback from STMD neurons can help insects participate in swarm motion, and that the selective attention property of STMD neurons to ‘target’ a single individual in a multi-agent heterospecific environment may be tied to the underlying stability and robustness properties of the system. The designed feedback control systems are then studied in persuasive leadership scenarios where the influence of higher speed ‘informed’ agents on the rest of the group is analyzed. Results indicate the ‘informed’ agents influence the swarm orientation, and ‘informed’ agent states affect their influence on the other agents and their cohesion. Current work integrating these results into unmanned aerial swarm platforms is described
Perceptions and experiences among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and agender (LGBTQIA+) patients of quality of care with healthcare services
No full textClinical Scenario: The LGBTQIA+ community has a unique set of healthcare needs and experience barriers to services. Many providers assume these needs are similar to heterosexual counterparts. Investigating experiences and perceptions with healthcare and recommendations on how to improve care can provide insight for professionals.Clinical Question: What are the perceptions of quality of healthcare and experiences among the LGBTQIA+ patients?Summary of Key Findings: A search was performed for articles exploring perceptions and experiences of LGBTQIA+ patients with healthcare. Four articles were included. All were Level VI qualitative studies. All demonstrated a lack of cultural competency leading to poor experiences with providers. Common themes included: misgendering, stigmatization, and negative provider attitude leading to poor experiences. Experiences improved if providers used inclusive language, created welcoming environments, and had knowledge/experience about needs of LGBTQIA+ patients.Clinical Bottom Line: LGBTQIA+ patients felt providers lacked adequate knowledge to understand and care for their needs. Future research should include facts contributing to accessing healthcare services, solutions to these barriers, and increasing geographic areas.Strength of Recommendation: According to the SORT scale, there is Level A evidence that LGBTQIA+ patients experience providers who are not adequately prepared to properly care for their unique needs
Literature review of the traditional use of tobacco as a cultural practice and harm reduction effort for Indigenous communities
No full textThis literature review aims to highlight cultural strengths and protective health factors associated with traditional/ceremonial tobacco (versus commercial tobacco) use among Indigenous communities. While commercial cigarette smoking rates have decreased over the past 50+ years in the US, Indigenous communities continue to smoke commercial tobacco at higher rates compared to other racial/ethnic groups, and thus, experience significantly higher tobacco-related health inequities. Traditional use of the tobacco plant, most often Nicotiana rustica or Nicotiana tabacum, may include smoking (but not inhaling), burning for offering, smudging in ceremonies, or sprinkling on the bed of an ill person for healing among Indigenous communities. Unlike traditional tobacco, commercial tobacco refers to a product (i.e., cigarettes, chewing tobacco) containing thousands of added chemical compounds associated with cancer-related disparities. Furthermore, the negative health outcomes associated with commercial tobacco use, such as premature death, remain a significant cause for concern in public health efforts. Contemporarily, an issue arises from the use of commercial tobacco use in traditional practices, out of convenience or lack of knowledge about the cultural significance, which can result in earlier initiation of tobacco use, and reduce cultural respect for the plant. Interventions developed with predominantly non-Hispanic White (NHW) populations are typically less effective for Indigenous populations due to a lack of cultural considerations. Recent research suggests that Indigenous populations benefit from culturally inclusive adaptations for tobacco control and tobacco dependence interventions. This literature review will identify effective ways to address the need for culturally inclusive efforts to reduce tobacco-related health disparities while also acknowledging the unique difference between using traditional tobacco and commercial tobacco use. In addition, it will discuss results from previous studies that suggest protective factors associated with engaging in these cultural practices. These findings will inform future studies that investigate whether traditional tobacco use could be promoted for Indigenous communities as a way that supports traditional tobacco use in tandem with reducing the harm of commercial cigarette smoking and chewing tobacco for Indigenous communities.Psycholog
First to fight, second to none: An examination of the doctrinal and tactical approaches of the American Expeditionary Force in World War One
No full textWhen the U.S. entered World War One it was faced with major dilemmas. The U.S. Military had no modern army, its doctrine was antiquated by European standards, and it was technologically behind their European counterparts. This thesis addressed the doctrinal and tactical approaches that the American Expeditionary Force took to combat the German Army in 1918. The focus of this study is on the 2d Division of the Regular Army which was comprised of both U.S. Army soldiers and U.S. Marines. Their service spanned from the opening days of hostility with Germany to occupation in the post-war period. The journey of this work is focused on how and when the American forces began to modernize for the industrial Western front which teemed with the most devastating weapons. Chapter 1 is focused on the training that the soldiers and marines of the 2d Division endured prior to their tour of combat in France from basic training to trenches in the Verdun Sector. Chapter 2 addresses the early battles including the engagements at Belleau Wood and Soissons. These early battles clearly show the major drawbacks in training and preparation directly affected by the adopted doctrine of the American Expeditionary Force. Chapter 3 examines the restructuring of the division after the disastrous early battles. Under the guidance of Major General John A. Lejeune, the division developed a synthesis of set-piece battle ideology and open-warfare. Chapter 4 concentrates on arguably the most underrated battle of the 2d Division’s history, Blanc Mont. The Battle of Blanc Mont provides an ideal case study of how the American Military evolved in warfighting in the twentieth century
HPV and meningococcal vaccine uptake among teens: A cross-sectional examination from the National Immunization Survey - Teen 2020
No full textBackground: Vaccination against both Human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal disease is recommended for all adolescents aged 11-12 years; however, many teens have not received these vaccinations.Aim: This study aims to assess trends in dual vaccination against HPV and meningococcal disease among teens in the United States.Methods: We analyzed data on 31,083 adolescents aged 13-17 years from the 2020 National Immunization Survey - Teen. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to determine dual vaccination rates and associations between vaccination status and sociodemographic characteristics.Results: Teens were 2.03 (95%CI: 1.98-2.09) times more likely to be vaccinated against meningococcal disease compared to HPV. Additionally, teens vaccinated against HPV were 1.21 (1.15-1.27) times more likely to be dually vaccinated than teens who were vaccinated against meningococcal disease. Among teens living in the South relative to the Northeast, the likelihood for being vaccinated against only HPV increased by a factor of 1.30 (1.07-1.58) and against only meningococcal disease increased by a factor of 1.17 (1.03-1.33). Relative to those living in the Northeast, the risk for being unvaccinated rather than dually vaccinated increased by a factor of 1.51 (1.25-1.83) for those living in the Midwest, 1.62 (1.30- 2.03) for those living in the West, and 1.80 (1.50-2.15) for those living in the South. Although less significant, we also found association between sex, race/ethnicity and income-to-poverty ratio.Conclusion: Dual vaccination against HPV and meningococcal disease among adolescents in the United States is associated with many factors including state legislation, physician recommendation, sex and census region. Although administration of both vaccines is recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to all adolescents aged 11-12 years, meningococcal vaccination is two times more likely than HPV vaccination. Given the trends in immunization and vaccine efficacy, we recommend that physicians advise patients in this age range to receive both vaccines during a single appointment. Increased vaccination at a societal level will increase protection against preventable diseases that cause significant burden to adolescents and young adults
Molecular regulation of bacterial stress responses and pyocin production
No full textBacteria have a variety of systems to sense stress and respond ensuring the survival of cells. Bacillus subtilis uses stressosomes—large cytoplasmic multiprotein complexes—to sense environmental stressors and trigger the general stress response through activation of the alternative sigma factor σB. Stressosomes are comprised of 40 RsbR proteins made up of four paralogous (RsbRA, RsbRB, RsbRC, and RsbRD) putative stress sensors. Previous work uncovered differences in the timing and magnitude of the RsbR paralogs’ σB response profiles to the same stressor. In chapter 1, we use microfluidic-coupled microscopy to investigate the σB responses mediated by each paralog and how they differ in the presence of different environmental stressors. Wild-type and RsbRA-only cells activate σB with a characteristic transient response irrespective of the stressor, modulating the magnitude of the response. Other individual RsbR paralogs show distinct timing and magnitude of responses to stressors, implying RsbR proteins can distinguish among stressors. In Chapter 2 we explore how these differences in σB activation affect the fitness of cells by conducting competition experiments under stress conditions. Our data suggests that the dynamics of the σB responses, which are impacted by the single RsbR paralogs, is capable of affecting fitness of cells.Pyocins are bacteriophage tail-like complexes released via cell lysis and kill other strains of P. aeruginosa, thought to aid in the elimination of competition for resources within a niche. The production of pyocins in xerC mutant strains occurs through a previously unknown non-canonical pathway. Normally the production of pyocins and resulting cell death is kept off by the transcriptional repressor PrtR, which undergoes autocleavage allowing pyocin production to occur only when RecA binds to damaged DNA. In chapter 3 we investigate the genetic regulation of pyocins via PrtR which appears to have previously unappreciated targets. In a recA and xerC double deletion, pyocins are still produced despite the trigger (RecA) for cleaving the repressor (PrtR) being absent, suggesting the xerC deletion is bypassing the PrtR repressor. Surprisingly, replacement of PrtR with a non-cleavable version still allows pyocin expression but somehow blocks production of functional pyocins, suggesting other previously unknown targets of PrtR
CELLULASE6 and MANNANASE7 affect cell differentiation and silique dehiscence in Arabidopsis
No full textCellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases play important roles in fruit development and maturation, but mutants with defects in the fruit have not been reported for cellulase or hemicellulase genes. Here we report the functional characterization of cellulase gene CEL6 and hemicellulase gene MAN7 in silique development and dehiscence in Arabidopsis. These genes were found to be expressed in vegetative and reproductive organs, and their expression in the silique partially depended on the IND and ALC transcriptional factors. Mutant alleles of cel6 and man7 exhibited delayed secondary cell wall thickening and altered cell morphology in the valve margin and impaired silique dehiscence. Cells in the separation layer in nearly mature siliques of the single mutants and the cel6-1 man7-3 double mutant remained intact whereas they degenerated in the wild-type control. Phenotypic studies of single, double, triple and quadruple mutants revealed that the higher-order mutant combinations of the cel6-1, man7-3, and pectinase adpg1-1 and adpg2- 1 mutations produced more severe silique indehiscent phenotypes than the corresponding lower-order mutant combinations, except for some combinations involving cel6-1, man7-3, and adpg2-1. Our results demonstrate that the ability of the silique to dehisce can be manipulated to different degrees by altering the activities of proteins of different types.Plant Biology, Ecology and Evolutio
Patch-burn grazing and mixed grazing as best management practices on rangelands: A study exploring adoption behavior, preferences, and motivations of private landowners in the southern Great Plains of the United States
No full textThe Great Plains of the United States' rangelands face a variety of anthropogenic threats including woody plant encroachment and uncharacteristic wildfires. Unfortunately, the situation is worsening due to the conventional land management practices involving limited use of fire, mono-species grazing, and preference for single-forage species. This study is aimed to explore socio-economic issues concerning two best management practices: patch-burn grazing or pyric herbivory and mixed-species grazing.I conducted a mail survey of landowners residing in the southern Great Plains states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. The study utilized a bivariate probit model to identify various factors affecting the awareness and adoption of patch-burn grazing, a novel approach to maintaining biodiversity in the Great Plains of the United States. Results showed that repeated wildfires, an opportunity to learn from nature conservancy, and university/county extension positively affected the probability of being aware of patch-burn grazing awareness. Likewise, larger landholding size, management objectives that focus on controlling blackberry, repeated wildfires, and the opportunity to learn from university/county extension positively influenced the likelihood of patch-burn grazing adoption. Additionally, landowners' preferences for non-traditional management practices were studied, and their willingness to pay was estimated through the Best-Worst Choice (BWC) experiment. The study found that ensuring higher forage utilization, lower level of fire risk, wildlife promotion, and the lower cost was likely to persuade landowners to conduct best management practices on their lands. Finally, the study explored the role of landowner values, attitudes, and norms on their behavioral intentions to adopt best management practices that promote wildlife abundance. The results emphasized the need for innovative communication and non-traditional outreach methods to educate rangeland owners on the ecological and production benefits of the best management practices
Targeting prime: Examining the economic elements behind Wagyu-influenced cattle
No full textWagyu beef is an increasingly popular product among today’s U.S. beef consumers because of its taste and tenderness resulting from high amounts of marbling and unique healthy fat composition. Low average daily gains and extended production cycles of Wagyu cattle have encouraged producers to crossbreed Wagyu with Angus, a popular U.S. breed of British descent, to attain these desired carcass and flavor characteristics more efficiently. Progeny from this crossbreeding effort are called Wangus. Most research conducted over Wagyu cattle has only examined physical differences between Wagyu and conventional beef breeds, but with no economic analysis. Objective 1 analyzes price composition for fed Angus cattle and for Wangus cattle of varying Wagyu genetic influence, including whether price premiums are associated solely with carcass characteristics or if a component of price is driven by perceived quality attributable to the Wagyu name. Research uses a hedonic model analysis of Wangus fed cattle price components. Objective 2 compares feedlot profitability across sex, feedlot start weight, and various genetic percentages in Wangus cattle with an ANOVA test. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) procedure is implemented with Tukey’s method to determine pairwise differences among subgroups. Results indicate premiums exist not only for certain carcass attributes but also for association with Wagyu beef. While 25% and 12.5% Wagyu cattle may not have American Wagyu marketing advantages, producers may receive premiums from these cattle based on buyers’ perceptions of Wagyu and an increased rate of cattle achieving USDA Prime quality grades. Significant premiums exist for reaching USDA Prime quality grades. Discounts are significant for USDA yield grades above 3. The analysis found differences exist in feedlot profitability among Angus and Wangus genetics. Wangus cattle with 25% and 12.5% Wagyu on average have higher net returns compared to Angus. On average, 50% Wagyu had the lowest net returns. Unexpectedly, there was no statistical difference in average profitability between steers and heifers. Differences exist in profitability among feedlot start weight groups with lighter weight cattle having higher mean net returns than heavier cattle. Results concluded price premiums could be achieved while minimizing losses of additional costs typically associated with Wagyu
Customizing Springshare’s Spaces to maximize user experience
No full textOklahoma State University Library’s online study room booking service is highly valued and widely used, and we owe much of its success to the effectiveness of Springshare’s LibCal's room booking software. As we planned to transition to the new Spaces platform, we sought feedback from our students and found that they highly valued the service and offered suggestions for additional features. The new Application Programming Interface (API) provided by Spaces has given us the freedom to create a highly customized interface that incorporates the students' suggestions, resulting in an enhanced experience. We developed a web interface, which offers a range of features not available in the Spaces' interface, such as a mobile friendly and simplified UI, and the ability to search for available rooms by date, size, floor, and location. We are also making the application available for other libraries to download and customize to fit their needs. Join us to learn about our progress and explore how our tools can benefit your library.Librar