Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Integrating language and content utilizing explicit language and literacy instruction in the mainstream classroom: Following secondary teachers through the process and beyond
No full textBecause of the tremendous growth and heterogeneity in ELL populations, there is heightened complexity in how to support ELLs, and many teachers in the state where this study is based often do not have the necessary background to support these students. Many teachers have never been exposed to students who speak another language. Until recently, there was no required course at the local university for preservice teachers about the intricacies of ELL students in the K-12 classroom. Moreover, the only required ELL training for mainstream classroom teachers is a once a year required training of about 45 minutes. The purpose of this dissertation research is to support teachers in integrating language instruction in their everyday content lessons by exploring the potentials of the E.L. Achieve CM Training Program and identifying ways in which the PD might influence teachers’ pedagogical practices. This study followed the development of seventeen mainstream and ELL teacher participants before, during, and after a week-long, CM training program. It examined teachers’ pre-training experiences as a needs analysis for understanding of their current processes and practices, explored teacher’s during-training attitudes, examined using an SFL-based attitude framework (Martin and White, 2005), towards the training program and how they incorporated their new knowledge into their lesson plans, and utilized narrative inquiry (Clandinin, 2006) to document a focal teacher’s journey of implementing training concepts over a period of eighteen weeks immediately after the CM program. There were three key findings: mainstream classroom teachers miss language instruction as a key element for English language learners of all levels when preparing lesson plans; professional development that supports student achievement must align with a teacher’s content and allow the teacher to fully engage in the process of developing the strategies; collaborative, supportive, long-term professional development is impactful to teachers pedagogically and takes time and persistence. These findings have important implications for future practice by demonstrating that all teachers can and should include explicit language instruction into their daily lesson plans. However, to do this in the most effective way, teachers must be provided with long-term professional development with meaningful mentorship, collaboration, and accountability
Identifying the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases involved in plant symbiosis
No full textPlants rely on symbiotic relationships with microbes such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobia to access essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. While early events in plant-microbe symbiosis such as recognition of microbial molecules and receptor activation are increasingly understood, the intracellular signaling mechanisms that transmit these cues to the nucleus remain largely unresolved. Notably, similarities between immune and symbiotic signaling pathways suggest shared components may mediate both responses. This study investigates the role of Medicago truncatula receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) subfamily VII genes in coordinating immune and symbiotic signaling. Using loss-of-function (LOF) mutants from a Tnt1 insertion library and newly developed gain-of-function (GOF) transgenic lines, symbiotic phenotypes we assessed through nodulation and arbuscular mycorrhization, alongside immune responses via chitin-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Among tested lines, NF10222 (a BIK1 ortholog) exhibited diminished ROS production when mutated, supporting its role as a positive regulator of immunity. In contrast, NF17979 mutants showed enhanced ROS signaling and reduced nodulation, suggesting a dual function as a negative immune regulator and positive symbiosis regulator. These roles were supported by GOF mutants such as L2-35, which overexpresses non-functional NF17979 and exhibited impaired nodulation. Collectively, these findings provide genetic evidence that RLCK VII genes mediate downstream signaling from microbial recognition to functional symbiotic development. This work offers a foundation for further research on immune-symbiosis signaling and informs strategies to enhance nutrient acquisition efficiency in crops
Effect of different biostimulants and application methods and their affects on ornamentals
No full textContinuing research on other avenues of nutrition other than traditional fertilizers is important to the horticulture industry. With the rise of organic farming, researching organic nutrition is valuable. In this research, four different biostimulants are evaluated at different rates and application methods to measure their effectiveness on alternative nutrition, reducing water stress, and the effect of the rooting of unrooted cuttings on numerous different species. The objective of this study was to determine if there were differences between seaweed and protein hydrolysate products, as well as if different rates and application methods had an effect. For calibrachoa nutrition and growth quality overall, some biostimulants increased plant growth and quality in terms of plant greenness compared to the control, but the effects of product, rate, and application method varied among the treatment combinations. In general, the protein hydrolysate products, Trainer and Siapton, performed better than the seaweed products (Maxicrop and Acadian). When applying biostimulants to Penta ‘Falling Star’ to evaluate watering effects, Siapton (protein hydrolysate) outperformed the Acadian (seaweed) product, but was heavily dependent on the watering method and time. Watering time also had a significant effect, with watering both at 10 AM and 2 PM consistently producing the best quality plants, while hand water consistently produced the worst quality plants. For the rooting of cuttings, overall, there was nothing significant found for most products and species; however, there was a significant interaction only on dip time on root development scores for Weigela ‘Sonic Red’ dipped at 30 minutes, producing the greatest number of roots. All other treatments and dip times had no significant effect on the rooting of ‘Annabelle’ and viburnum ‘Eskimo’ rooting of cuttings
National Football League’s international expansion: A comparative analysis of market viability and sports diplomacy in London, Mexico City, and Frankfurt
No full textThis research examines the National Football League’s potential expansion into international markets, specifically London, Mexico City, and Frankfurt, utilizing a dual lens of market viability and sports diplomacy. Through a comparative case study framework, this study evaluates each market based on economic indicators, infrastructure readiness, cultural integration potential, and diplomatic opportunities. The findings indicate that successful global expansion requires market-specific strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. London emerges as the most mature market with an established fan base and infrastructure, while Mexico City presents a market with the largest potential audience and minimal travel logistics, but infrastructure challenges. Psychic distance analysis exposes how sport-specific traditions can overcome linguistic and cultural barriers, as evidenced in Mexico’s already established football culture. This study recommends a sequential expansion strategy, beginning with London and Mexico City, followed by Frankfurt after further development. This research contributes to understanding how professional sports leagues can balance commercial objectives with cultural exchange in this interconnected global sports environment
Potential impacts of climate variation on the American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Oliver: Overwintering, voltinism, and phoretic mites
No full textThe American burying beetle (ABB), Nicrophorus americanus Oliver, is North America’s largest burying beetle. This species is a habitat generalist that uses small carrion to feed and breed. ABB has been lost from nearly 90% of its range and was classified as federally threatened in 2020. Research on its population decline continues, but its response to climate change, overwintering survival, and reproduction are understudied. Population surveys were conducted for ten Silphinae species including ABB in Oklahoma at Camp Gruber Military Reserve (Muskogee County) and the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Osage County). Results demonstrated a decline in species presence from 2023 to 2024 and an overall lower number of beetles present in Osage County compared to Muskogee County. Data showed ABB to favor grassland habitats in Muskogee County and savannah habitats in Osage County. Using laboratory bred beetles, the mean (±S.E.) lethal maximum temperature of ABB was determined to be 35.85°C (±0.68) when exposed to continuous increase of temperature. When beetles were exposed to temperature increases at 10-minute periods, average lethal maximum was increased to 37.78°C (±0.17). Overwintering trials were conducted on ABB in Stillwater, Oklahoma where a decline in beetle survival was observed in second-year trials. To better understand why this may have occurred, the supercooling point (SCP) of ABB was determined where the average was -1.98°C (±0.2). Differences in precipitation rather than temperatures appear to explain the differences between years in both summer populations and overwinter survival. Finally, the relationship of burying beetles and their phoretic mites that can become overcrowded, especially after breeding, was determined. Lethal maximum temperature for mites without their host beetles at a constant increase with 10-minute intervals was 36.9°C (±0.15) and was lower at 34.5°C (±0.33) with a constant temperature increase. Mites at densities greater than 200 per beetle left their host at 33.64°C (±0.47). This suggests that beetles can reduce mite loads by increasing their temperatures. The results of these experiments highlight reduction in populations during drought, lowered overwinter survival under dry conditions, and a mechanism to reduce mite load by increasing body temperature
Strain accommodation along major rift-bounding faults of an early-stage continental rift: Evolution and growth of normal faults of the Malawi Rift
No full textThis dissertation explores the dynamics of fault systems and strain accommodation in the Southern Malawi Rift through a series of interrelated studies. The first project investigates the segmentation, linkage, and growth of the Bilila-Mtakataka Fault (BMF) System, integrating high-resolution topographic, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and aeromagnetic data. This approach reveals discrepancies between surface and subsurface fault characteristics, highlighting a more complex long-term evolution of the BMF than previously assumed. Our findings indicate that despite its extensive length, the BMF is under-displaced compared to global fault populations, suggesting it may continue to accumulate strain, posing a major seismic hazard.
The second project addresses the challenge of accurate fault throw estimation by developing a novel semi-automated MATLAB algorithm. This algorithm integrates surface and subsurface datasets, including Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM-DEM) and aeromagnetic data, to enhance fault throw estimates. By incorporating subsurface depth-to-magnetic basement data, the algorithm overcomes the limitations of traditional surface-only methods, providing analysis of fault throw distribution, segmentation, and growth. This advancement improves the accuracy and efficiency of fault analysis, offering valuable insights for seismic hazard assessments.
The third project focuses on strain accommodation within the bifurcating zone of the Malawi Rift, specifically along the major faults. Using a multidisciplinary approach that combines ERT, aeromagnetic data, and InSAR time-series analysis, we investigate variations in fault structures and deformation patterns. Our results reveal complex interactions between major and inner-rift faults, with equally substantial ground displacement and subsidence observed near the border and intra-rift faults. This study enhances the understanding of geospatial variation due to rift bifurcation, fault dynamics, and strain partitioning, providing insights for regional seismic hazard assessment and resource management.
These studies offer a view of fault dynamics and strain accommodation in the Southern Malawi Rift, integrating advanced methodologies to improve fault analysis and seismic hazard evaluation
Exploring the influence of the Oklahoma winter wheat rhizosphere on crop yield and the development of diagnostic probes for beneficial microorganisms
No full textThe rhizosphere comprises a complex system between the roots of the plant, the soil conditions, the microbiome communities, and their interactions which influence plant phenotypical traits like growth and yield. Metagenomic approaches have been developed to understand the diversity and composition of microbial communities in crop systems, making it necessary to have rapid and accurate tools for profiling the rhizosphere microbial taxa in breeding programs. This study aimed to identify select taxa differentially abundant in high yield winter wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties in different Oklahoma soil types and across jointing growth stages Feekes 6 and 9 for the development of diagnostic probes for rapid assessment. A greenhouse experiment was set to replicate the field conditions of winter wheat among different treatment combinations, soil samples were taken from unique plants in different growth stages at different sampling depths, and phenotypical traits were measured to associate plants with high or low yields. Oxford Nanopore metagenomic sequencing was performed to retrieve the metagenome composition from soil samples, analyses exploring the bacterial diversity and structure composition across treatments at the class and species level were performed. Yield-associated differential abundance was analyzed using a multiple interaction model considering scaling and normalization factors. The results showed that soil type was the main driver of the differences in bacterial community structures for each wheat variety while the overall richness and evenness of the diversity remained consistent across treatments. A restricted number of bacteria including Rhizobium sp. BG4 and Caballeronia grimmiae, were consistently more abundant in high-yield plants across various treatments. E-probe data sets targeting select taxa showed a consistent detection performance extending their applicability into agricultural applications and modelling for prediction of winter wheat crop yield and productivity free of whole metagenomic profiling
Impacts of organic equivalency agreements and food miles
No full textThis dissertation examines the impact of organic equivalency agreements (OEAs) on trade and industry-level quality upgrading, as well as the implications of food miles as a sustainability metric. The first study investigates the economic effects of OEAs on U.S. organic trade, with particular attention to how these effects differ across products from trade partners based on their revealed comparative advantage (RCA). Employing a combined empirical strategy that integrates RCA metrics, differences-in-differences (DiD) estimation, and locally weighted regression (LWR), the analysis uses detailed trade data at the HS 6- and 10-digit level. The results indicate that OEAs significantly enhance U.S. organic exports, especially for products with strong comparative advantages, while imports from partner countries tend to decrease. Notably, the relationship between RCA and the trade effects of OEAs is highly nonlinear, revealing the heterogeneous effects of OEAs across different country-product combinations.
The second chapter examines whether exposure to the 2014 Korea–U.S. OEA influenced farm-level quality certification decisions. Using a shift-share identification strategy, we construct a province-level exposure index from the overlap between each region’s crop shares and the composition of U.S. organic imports prior to the agreement. While not statistically significant at conventional levels, the results suggest that provinces with higher OEA exposure saw increases in certified organic farms and declines in pesticide-free and conventional farms. These directional patterns align with the hypothesis that the OEA contributed to a reallocation toward internationally recognized certification. Although the estimates are imprecise, they underscore the potential for equivalency agreements to reshape domestic production decisions via competitive and regulatory pressures.
The last chapter critiques the “food miles” metric for oversimplifying the environmental implications of global trade. It proposes a more comprehensive indicator, kilogram· kilometers per dollar, that combines transport distance and economic value. Using historical bilateral trade data, the analysis constructs weighted distance-per-value measures across commodity groups, revealing substantial variation in trade efficiency by product and region. These findings suggest that food miles alone can mislead on sustainability and that value-adjusted metrics allow more balanced, context-sensitive evaluations of socioeconomic and environmental impacts in international trade
Epigenetic regulation of nerve growth factor gene during colonic inflammation
No full textPurpose of the Study:This study investigated the epigenetic regulation of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) expression in the TNBS-induced colitis, a preclinical model for ulcerative colitis (UC). The scope included examining how DNA methylation at the NGF promoter and histone modifications contribute to NGF activation during inflammation. Specifically, it focused on the role of H3K4me3, an activating histone modification, which binds to the NGF gene promoter to support transcriptional activation. The study also explored the role of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in binding methylated DNA and interacting with H3K4me3 to regulate NGF transcription. Additionally, it assessed the effects of Azacytidine (Aza), a DNA demethylating agent, on modulating NGF expression and reducing inflammation. By focusing on these molecular pathways, the study aimed to provide insights into the epigenetic mechanisms driving chronic inflammation in UC and to evaluate Aza’s potential as an epigenetic therapy for inflammatory diseases.
Summary of Findings and Conclusion:The study demonstrated that Aza reduced DNA methylation at the NGF promoter, leading to a decrease in NGF expression, which correlated with reduced inflammation in TNBS-induced colitis. Furthermore, the findings revealed a complex interaction between DNA methylation, MeCP2, and H3K4me3 in the regulation of NGF transcription. The recruitment of MeCP2 to the methylated NGF promoter, along with the presence of H3K4me3, suggested a mechanism in which hypermethylation paradoxically contributed to NGF activation in the inflammatory setting. These results underscore the potential of targeting epigenetic pathways, particularly DNA methylation and histone modifications, as therapeutic strategies for UC. Together, these findings offer valuable insights into the role of NGF in chronic inflammation and highlight Aza’s promise as a modulatory agent in inflammatory diseases like UC
Assessing the impacts of green stormwater infrastructure on urban stormwater quantity and quality using PCSWMM: A case study of Northern Oklahoma College, Enid campus stormwater pond
No full textUrban stormwater management has become a pressing environmental issue due to rapid urbanization and changing climate. Excessive stormwater runoff contributes to erosion, sedimentation, and flooding, leading to water quality degradation in the receiving water bodies. In response to this, sustainable solutions such as Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) for urban stormwater management have become increasingly important. This study examined the effectiveness of GSI practices in managing the stormwater quantity and quality in an urban watershed. The Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) Enid campus pond and the surrounding area were selected as the case study area. This campus pond receives runoff from 917 acres of urban catchment which has led to excessive sedimentation in the pond. To study the impacts of stormwater runoff and understand the status of the pond, water samples were collected during the baseflow and stormflow events and analyzed for pH, Escherichia coli, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), nitrate, total nitrogen, and total phosphorous (TP). The Personal Computer Storm Water Management Model (PCSWMM) was employed to simulate stormflow in the study area under five design storms with recurrence intervals ranging from 1-year to 25-year. The model was calibrated using the field-collected flow depth, and TSS data. Different scenarios were developed within the model to compare the effectiveness of four GSI practices: bioretention cell (BRC), infiltration trench (IT), rain garden (RG) and vegetative swale (VS) in runoff and TSS reduction. The water quality assessment found turbidity, TSS, TP and E. coli as the parameters of major concern. Model simulation results confirmed the effectiveness of the GSI practices, with BRC being the most effective in the reduction of peak inflow, total inflow volume and peak TSS influx into the pond with up to 86.8%, 74.9% and 61% reduction, respectively. Additionally, a combination of GSI practices for the campus pond area were identified with the aim of helping NOC for potential implementation. The findings presented in this study are expected to provide a better understanding of the impacts of urban stormwater runoff on receiving water bodies as well as aid in identifying the best GSI practices for stormwater impact mitigation