Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Heartbeat evoked potential differences between anxiety disorders
No full textThis study examined differences in interoceptive processing between individuals with social anxiety and generalized anxiety, using the heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) as a neural marker of attention to internal bodily signals. HEPs were recorded during a heartbeat counting task to assess the degree of interoceptive attention. Consistent with prior research linking elevated HEP amplitude to perceived internal threat, results showed that individuals with high social anxiety exhibited significantly greater HEP amplitudes compared to those with generalized anxiety and low anxiety. In contrast, participants with high generalized anxiety did not show increased HEP activity, suggesting distinct neural processing mechanisms across anxiety subtypes. These findings highlight the importance of differentiating between types of anxiety in interoception research and suggest that social anxiety may involve heightened sensitivity to internal cues, which may have implications for diagnosis and treatment
Whispers in the wind: Oklahoma women's narratives of climate migration choices and survival during the Dust Bowl
No full textThe Dust Bowl of the 1930s, occurring in the American Great Plains,significantly impacted the Southern Plains states, causing drought, erosion, and economic depression, resulting in severe environmental and social consequences. Amidst this instability, climate-induced migration emerged as an important dimension in Dust Bowl narratives. This paper aims to explore the role of gender and community capitals in climate migration decisions during the 1930s Dust Bowl, focusing on Oklahoma women who either stayed in the state or migrated to California. Using Gender Role Theory and the Community Capitals Framework (CCF), I examine the push, pull, and stay factors that shaped migration choices. Two distinct oral history datasets were analyzed, representing women who stayed in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl, and women who migrated to California. I employed qualitative content analysis to uncover how forms of capital impacted women's resilience and adaptation strategies during this period. I find that migration decisions were primarily controlled by men, but women’s agency was not completely absent. Decisions were made due to push factors like the inability to farm land or find income sources and pull factors included employment opportunities and the presence of social networks in California. Gender roles were more rigid in Oklahoma where women were mostly involved in household duties, with limited work options outside the home. Migrant women in California had more flexibility, equally working as men and challenging traditional gender roles. Women’s resilience and adaptive capability influenced many men to decide to stay in Oklahoma. The CCF helped to identify capitals that were present or absent in communities and how these capitals influenced migration decisions. The key capitals that worked as push factors for migrants included natural, financial, and human capital and the pull factors were natural, social, financial and human capital. The key stay factors for Oklahoman women were natural, social, cultural, human, political and built capital. I argue that climate change is not solely driven by environmental factors but also by community members’ access to resources, social networks, gender role expectations, and cultural values. This study contributes to an understanding of historical migration dynamics and offers insights relevant to contemporary challenges of climate change and migration in the current world context
Clinico-economic outcomes of Schwann cell-mediated treatment of diabetes-induced peripheral neurodegenerative disease
No full textThis retrospective, longitudinal study evaluated the effectiveness of combining low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) as a non‐invasive treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The study analyzed the medical records of 44 patients who completed a 13‐treatment course at a DPN treatment center. Pain severity and functional interference were measured using the modified Brief Pain Inventory for DPN (BPI-DPN), which yielded composite scores for the Pain Severity Index (PSI) and Pain Interference Index (PII). The research addressed nine questions; the first eight evaluated symptom reductions, and the ninth examined the influence of demographic and clinical variables on treatment outcomes.
Statistical analyses using paired-sample t-tests demonstrated significant reductions from baseline to post-treatment for PII, worst pain, and interference measures related to sleep, walking ability, and enjoyment of life, while Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests also confirmed significant reductions for PSI, interference with normal work, and interference with relationships. All paired-sample t-tests were p ≤ .002. Notably, PSI decreased from a mean of 4.19 to 1.88, and PII declined from 4.87 to 3.20. Further analysis with Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) revealed that age (Wald χ²(2) = 16.31, p = .001) and baseline numbness significantly (Wald χ²(1) = 11.25, p < .001) influenced PII reductions. At the same time, no demographic or clinical factors significantly predicted PSI outcomes. These findings indicate that the combined treatment robustly alleviates pain and enhances functional outcomes consistently across a broad cross-section of DPN patients.
The study is significant because DPN is a debilitating condition with limited non-pharmacologic treatment options, and neuropathy-related complications account for a substantial portion of diabetes-related medical costs. The findings also reinforce early theories of nerve regeneration, highlighting the role of mechanical stimulation in activating Schwann cells and promoting peripheral nerve repair. Future research should include randomized controlled trials to compare this treatment with standard-of-care therapy and explore their long-term economic benefits
Stability and regularity problems on the 2D magnetohydrodynamic equations
No full textFluid dynamics is a branch of fluid mechanics that examines the behavior of moving fluids such as liquids and gases. The Navier-Stokes equation is a fundamental equation in this field. It describes fluid motion under the influence of shearing forces. This thesis focuses on a closely related system: the magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) equations, which describe electrically conducting fluids such as liquid metals and plasmas. Our primary focus is to study the MHD equations with magnetic diffusion.
In chapter two, we discuss the constraints and difficulty of solving the global regularity problem for 2D resistive MHD equations in R² and solve it in the periodic domain(T²) with fractional magnetic dissipation. In chapter three, we discuss the influence of the background magnetic field on the 2D resistive MHD system. In chapter four, we address the global regularity problem for the 2D MHD system with damped wave type in the spatial domain Ω=[0,π]×R
Deaf interaction with law enforcement: A survey approach
No full textThere are several news sources and stories that report negative interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with hearing loss due to drastic measures taken by the law enforcement officers. Along with these negative reports, minimal research has been done on how interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with hearing loss typically occur without media reports. This study investigated factors that influence positive and negative interactions with law enforcement along with how interactions with law enforcement officers can be improved. This study specifically looked at survey responses from those in the d/Deaf community through open-ended and scale questions. Surveys of 49 adults from around the U.S. were analyzed. Results of this study showed that a slight majority of interactions with law enforcement officers were positive and impacted by officer actions and presentation and participant actions. However, many interactions were negative, and survey respondents reported several ideas to help improve these interactions overall, including more training on accommodations for officers. To assist in implementing these suggestions into practice, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, other allies, and d/Deaf individuals should advocate and educate those in law enforcement agencies in order to create safe and positive interactions
Final design report: Space Cowboys – IEEE robotics
No full textSpace Cowboy’s Final Report reflects our efforts to create a small autonomous robot capable of picking up game pieces and depositing them into collection bins. This robot will represent Oklahoma State University at the IEEE robotics conference in Boulder, Colorado on March 27-29. Although this team will not see the robot compete, we were able to fabricate a fully functional robot with different subsystems for the next team to utilize in the competition.
The game field is built in ENDV 340, made from 2’ x 4’, foam flooring, and black tarp. The field is specific to game regulation, allowing us to have a clean and regulated testing environment.
The scope of the project involved integrating multiple disciplines. We were challenged by factors such as software development, mechanical feasibility, game plan decisions, and potential power to draw complications. These different factors allow the project to accommodate the mechanical, electrical, and computer sides of design to shine. Together, we developed a design that satisfies the rules laid out by IEEE along with our objectives for the game, which will be discussed in the problem description. This project required a multi-phase development process, starting from conceptual design, through detailed design, prototyping, testing, and refining. All of which will be discussed in this report
Analysis of the long-term trend of evaporative water loss in Lake Hefner (Oklahoma) for sustainable water management
No full textStudy region: Southern Great Plains (SGP), Oklahoma, USA. The region’s semi-arid climate, with marked year-to-year variability in temperature and precipitation, makes its water resources highly climate-sensitive.
Study focus: This study analyzes long-term evaporation at Lake Hefner, a medium-sized municipal reservoir in central Oklahoma, using the Global Lake Evaporation Volume (GLEV) dataset and NASA POWER climate data from 1985 to 2018. The Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimator detected trends, while multiple linear regression identified key climatic drivers. A water balance analysis assessed evaporation relative to inflow and outflow variables. A policy review examined how evaporation is considered in local and state water management.
New hydrological insights for the region: Evaporation increased significantly over the 34-year period (+0.113 mm yr⁻¹, p < 0.05), with the most pronounced trends occurring in autumn and winter. Air temperature was identified as the dominant driver of these changes. On average, evaporation removed approximately 13.0 MCM per year, representing about 19.1 % of total annual outflows. Cumulatively, this results in nearly 440 MCM of water lost over the study period. Despite these findings, evaporation monitoring and forecasting remain absent in current reservoir operations and broader state-level water policy. Given projected warming and rising water demand, evaporation losses are expected to intensify, posing challenges for long-term reservoir sustainability. These findings underscore the urgency of integrating evaporation into future strategies, including the 2025 Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan.Geograph
Consumers’ willingness to pay for sustainable turfgrass attributes: The role of aesthetic preferences, water conservation policies, and climate risk perceptions
No full textThe first paper examines consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable turfgrass attributes—specifically low-input and stress-tolerant characteristics—while accounting for trade-offs with aesthetic qualities. A choice experiment is conducted, and two mixed logit models are estimated. The first model evaluates consumer preferences based on turfgrass traits such as input cost reduction, winter damage resistance, and shade tolerance. The second model adds interaction terms to investigate whether aesthetic appeal modifies the valuation of sustainability attributes. A separate choice experiment simulates consumer responses under alternative water policy scenarios, including varying water prices and irrigation restrictions. Results reveal that consumers prefer turfgrass requiring fewer inputs and exhibiting higher climate resilience, with strong direct preferences for aesthetics. However, interaction effects between aesthetic and sustainable traits are largely insignificant. Furthermore, water pricing is found to be more effective than usage restrictions in promoting the adoption of water-conserving turfgrass varieties. The second paper examines how climate change risk perception affects WTP for turfgrass with sustainability features, including low-input, climate-resilient, and stress-tolerant traits. A Hybrid Choice Model (HCM) is applied to capture the latent structure of climate concern and its influence on preferences, addressing endogeneity and measurement error inherent in standard models. This framework also enables simulations of how changes in climate perception alter WTP. The findings suggest that southern homeowners place greater value on traits like reduced water use and winter damage resistance, while showing less interest in attributes that reduce mowing or chemical use. WTP increases alongside greater climate risk perception. Simulation results indicate that if consumers adopted climate concern profiles typical of younger, suburban, and non-Republican individuals, the demand for climate-resilient turfgrass would significantly expand, allowing firms to justify higher prices. Together, these studies highlight the interplay between sustainability, behavioral perception, and policy instruments in shaping both consumer behavior and broader environmental outcomes
Investigation into the elements influencing cattle producers' preference for specific information sources
No full textThis qualitative study explored why cattle producers choose certain information sources over others, using the Uses and Gratifications Theory as a framework. The study sought to understand producers’ motivations, preferences, and perceived effectiveness of various sources in meeting their informational needs. Data was collected through individual interviews with cow/calf producers across Oklahoma
Thematic analysis revealed producers select information sources based on credibility, accessibility, timeliness, and relevance to their specific operations. Participants expressed a strong preference for firsthand knowledge, valuing personal experience and peer recommendations over digital or institutional sources. Barriers to adopting new information channels included skepticism toward sponsored content, time constraints, and challenging interfaces.
The findings suggest cattle producers engage with information sources aligning with their practical needs and values, emphasizing credibility and direct applicability. Understanding these preferences can help agricultural communicators, extension educators, and policymakers tailor their outreach strategies to better serve producers. By recognizing the elements influencing cattle producers’ information-seeking behaviors, industry stakeholders can develop more effective communication methods to resonate with this audience
Insect species assessment in the Ozark ecoregion and the effect of fire on grassland Acrididae
No full textInsect populations worldwide are undergoing substantial and rapid declines in biomass, often referred to as the ‘insect apocalypse.’ The suspected causes vary, but suggested reasons focus on the combined effects of habitat alteration and loss, pesticides and pollutants, invasive species, and factors relating to climate change. Some of these losses have been documented in protected areas, highlighting the role that land management plays in supporting insect diversity. Unfortunately, our understanding of the relationship between habitat management and insect populations is obscured by the lack of species-level insect identification in the vast majority of studies. I investigated four different facets of these issues in Oklahoma. First, I examined the relationship between grasshopper species abundance and prescribed burning, which can have a differential effect based on traits of the grasshoppers, including wing length, host preference, and adult size, as well as the spring or fall timing of the fire. Secondly, I explored the biodiversity of four different insect taxa in Ozark Mountain glades, isolated grasslands surrounded by forests that may act as a buffer to anthropogenic disturbance for isolated insect populations. I found populations of grassland specialist butterflies and grasshoppers, which tended to occur more frequently in managed glades, and documented many other rare species, including distribution expansions and new state records. I then compared the data from butterfly surveys to observations submitted to the community-science platform iNaturalist. iNaturalist observations approximated survey data for a region over the course of a year, but not over smaller spatial or temporal scales. Lastly, I estimated the population of one of the rare butterflies that I found, the Diana fritillary. At Camp Gruber I used a mark and recapture study, and gained new insights into its life history that can improve future survey efforts