Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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How business and sports compliance relates to long-term success
No full textMy thesis outlined my research findings ad case studies surrounding the world of business compliance. The thesis that I was defending was that overall, compliance enforcement directly relates to business strategy. Effective compliance strengthens an organization’s ability to pursue strategic goals by managing risk, preserving reputation, focusing on ethical culture, and improving internal operations. On the other hand, business strategy determines the compliance priorities needed to support long-term success. I held case studies with two compliance officers, one at Devon Energy and one in the sports industry, to compare and contrast the two methods. I found that they were mostly similar in that compliance is an evolving department, with arguably one of the most important pieces in a business. This directly relates to the business' long-term success and internal operations
Racial belonging among descendants of Native American Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes
No full textThis study examines the experiences of Freedmen descendants, at the intersection of African American and Native American identities, by using interviews to qualitatively assess their personal perceptions of in-group tribal belonging, racial identity, and complex relationship with familial and cultural history. This research finds that Native American Freedmen descendants largely identify as Black racially and tend to find communal belonging with other Black Americans and other individuals of Freedmen descent
Understanding healthcare non-compliance following orthopedic surgery
No full textPrior research has examined factors related to individuals differences in recovery from orthopedic surgery (e.g., knowledge, beliefs about their condition, and their relationship with healthcare providers). The present research aimed to examine non-adherence to treatment plans following orthopedic surgeries (e.g., medication non-adherence, failure to complete physical therapy as directed, and failure to abstain from risky physical movements during recovery). The research tested the hypothesis that personal characteristics (e.g., personality traits, attitudes and beliefs, and demographic variables) would be related to failures to complete treatment plans following an orthopedic surgery. In the present study, I recruited participants who had an orthopedic surgery (including joint replacements) over the last five years. Participants completed an online survey in which they provided information about their surgery, treatment plan, and their experience attempting to complete the treatment plan. The results of the study indicated that certain personality traits do have an effect on health care non-compliance
Evaluating the impact of differing surface areas and weights of beef strip loin and sirloin steaks in tri-gas modified atmosphere master bags on retail display
No full textThe objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of differing surface areas and weights of steaks in CO-MAP on shelf stability and to establish standards for optimal surface area and weight of meat for oxygen scavenger capacity. Thirty-two beef strip loins (IMPS #180) and forty-eight top sirloin butts (IMPS #184) both USDA Low-Choice were obtained from a commercial processor and wet aged to 21 d postmortem. Strip loins and top butts were alternately cut based on the different thicknesses required to obtain steaks for weight treatments and surface area treatments. Strip steak weight treatments were light weight (LW), intermediate weight (IW), and heavy weight (HW) and surface areas were small surface area (SS), medium surface area (MS), and large surface area (LS). Sirloin steak weight treatments were the same as strips and surface areas were small surface area (SS) and large surface area (LS). After slicing, steaks were placed into foam trays (n = 50 strip steaks; n = 46 sirloin steaks) with an absorbent pad and overwrapped with perforated polyvinyl chloride film. Trays were placed in master bags and flushed with 30% CO2, 0.4% CO, and 69.6% N2 before dark storage of 15 d. Oxygen depletion and headspace analysis were conducted, and objective and subjective color measurements were collected during retail display (d 1 – 7 strips; d 1 – 6 sirloins). Lipid oxidation, oxygen consumption, and metmyoglobin reducing ability were obtained at the beginning and end of retail display. Muscle color, surface discoloration, and overall acceptability were analyzed by a trained panel (n = 6). Treatments of surface area and weight performed comparable to each other for both strip and sirloin steaks. In this study, no effect of surface area or weight in a CO-MAP master bag was observed. Therefore, it is believed that the scavenger utilized in this study had sufficient capacity to overcome the additional weight or surface area in the master bag
Relationships between feminist alignment, empowerment, and firearm ownership among women
No full textFirearms represent a highly lethal and accessible method of suicide which has led to an increased focus on firearm means safety to prevent firearm suicide deaths. Much of the research regarding firearm suicide deaths and firearm safe storage practices has focused on men, likely leaving women, who are also significantly impacted by firearm suicide, understudied. The reasons that firearm owners give for owning firearms is associated with willingness to engage in safe storage practices. Women, and those who endorse feminist alignment, often have different reasons for owning firearms than men. As such, studying women and feminist alignment may represent a pathway to better understand women who own firearms, die by firearm suicide, and safe storage practices among women firearm owners. The present study examined feminist alignment in male and female firearm owners, feminist empowerment as a reason for owning a firearm, and implications of feminist alignment for firearm storage practices. Data regarding firearm ownership, storage, and feminist alignment and empowerment were collected through online surveys with university and community samples of male and female firearm owners. Consistent with hypotheses, women reported greater endorsement of feminist alignment and were more likely to endorse empowerment as a reason for owning firearms. Stronger feminist alignment also predicted greater willingness to engage in safe storage practices. The present work extends current literature and provides novel information about women’s motivation for firearm ownership, the role of feminism in ownership, and implications for safe storage practices of firearms
"He walks eternally": Beauty queries and queer legacy, from Shakespeare to Keats to Wilde
No full textThis essay examines the literary genealogy of queer legacy that connects William Shakespeare, John Keats, and Oscar Wilde. I explore how their works and artistic identities influenced one another and shaped the broader queer literary pantheon as a whole. Beginning with Shakespeare’s profound impact on Keats, I analyze how the Bard became a symbol of artistic inheritance for the Romantic poet, particularly in Keats’s reflections on beauty, truth, and posterity. I then trace Keats’s influence on Wilde, examining how Wilde loved not only Keats’s written aesthetic, but his bodily beauty. Using The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Portrait of Mr. W.H., I trace how we see Wilde’s queer aesthetics and subsequent artistic legacy cementing themselves into permanency thanks in part to his reverence for Keats. In the conclusion, I examine how these three authors inspired queer artists throughout subsequent centuries, leading up to contemporary novels such as Henry Henry by Allen Bratton or Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
In elections we trust? Gauging Americans’ faith in elections and consequences for political attitudes and behavior
No full textThis thesis examines how election denialism and voter confidence following the 2020 U.S. presidential election influenced attitudes and political behavior in the 2021 Senate runoff elections in Georgia. Building on prior research that links partisan responses to electoral defeat with a decreased trust in the electoral process, this study hypothesizes that the widespread promotion of election denialism by Republican leaders and media outlets undermined the confidence of Republican voters. In turn, is it the case that denialism and voter confidence influenced the likelihood of participation in the 2021 Georgia Senate runoffs, while shaping vote choice in these pivotal elections that decided which party would control Congress’ upper chamber? The empirical analysis, drawing on a large sample of registered Georgia voters in the AP VoteCast survey, reveals that participation was at best, minimally impacted by skepticism regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Instead, denying the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election is strongly related to Republican voting in the 2021 Georgia Senate runoffs, whereas voter confidence has the opposite effect–higher voter confidence is associated with significant support for the Democratic Senate candidates. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on electoral legitimacy and democratic resilience, ultimately highlighting the importance of trust in the electoral process and how it manifests in political attitudes and voting behavior
Thermal death time kinetics of three Bacillus strain probiotics in peptone media
No full textThe need for healthy foods has only increased in current years. Probiotics in particular are well known for their ability to provide a health benefit for the gut. The main probiotic bacteria commonly used in foods, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, are susceptible to heat and therefore the products to which they can be added are limited. Spores of Bacillus strain bacteria were proposed as an alternative to Lactobacillus due to their thermal resistance. This research studied the thermal death time kinetics of three Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Bacillus probiotic strains: Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086, Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856, and Bacillus subtilis DE111. Firstly, the thermal resistance of each strain was evaluated at 83℃+/-3℃ and 100℃+/-3℃. This internal temperature was achieved through the use of an oil bath. A buffered peptone solution was allowed to come to temperature (5min+/-10sec) before the timer was started. A sample of the probiotic containing solution was then removed every 5min over the course of 20 minutes (time points: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20). The data were then analyzed to find the thermal resistance and the decimal reduction time (D-value). The D-value is the time it takes to attain a 1 log reduction in the microbial population. The D-values were then used to calculate the Z-value, which is the degree of temperature change needed to reduce the D-value by 1 log. All experiments had four independent replications. It was found that at 83℃ DE111 had the highest thermal resistance (D-83℃ 26min) while GBI-30 6086 had the lowest (D-83℃ 6min 48sec). The D-83℃ value for MTCC 5856 was not determined as this is an activation time and temperature for the strain. At 100℃ the D-100℃ for GBI-30 6086 was 3min 6sec, for DE111 was 2min 24sec, and for MTCC 5856 was 1min 12sec. This indicates that at 100℃ GBI-30 6086 has the highest thermal resistance and MTCC 5856 has the lowest
Designing Spiritkeep: A new text to harness the emotional benefits of the therapeutically applied RPG genre
No full textThis thesis aimed to further research on a growing method of play therapy, therapeutically applied tabletop role-playing games, and examine its users as a discourse community with shared but unmet needs. Several methods were taken to accomplish this goal. A literature review explored the current state of the research. Then, a study with 109 participants was conducted to deduce the connection between tabletop role-play and emotional resilience. Finally, five popular texts in the tabletop role-playing game genre were analyzed against seven criteria, synthesized from therapeutically applied role-playing game community experts, to determine if currently available texts fulfilled the needs of this community. The texts included Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, New World of Darkness, Apocalypse Keys, Wanderhome, and Songs for the Dusk. This research found that the benefits of tabletop role-playing games are shared between clinical use and home use, but that currently available texts are not ideal for fulfilling therapeutic purposes. Therefore, the thesis includes the foundations of a new text that is designed to be perfectly suited to the requirements of this genre: a game called Spiritkeep, designed to help players heal from complex trauma through long-term play. As the therapeutically applied role-playing field is growing in use by experts as well as in popular attention, the development of this new text has the potential for great impact in the role-playing community
Data-driven diabetic retinopathy (DR) prediction model with the assistance of a score-based diffusion model
No full textDiabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular diabetes complication in clinics, which may result in vision loss due to damage of blood vessels in the back of the eye. Currently, it is also the leading cause of blindness among all American adults. Thus, with the available electronic health records (EHR) data, establishing an effective classification model to accurately predict the risk of DR can significantly benefit the diabetic patients who have not been affected by DR yet. However, one of the biggest challenges is that the collected EHR data are usually imbalanced, as in general the number of patients who are diagnosed positive for DR is much less than the negative. For instance, the imbalanced ratio of positive to negative patients may be less than 1:10, and then it will result in significant model training bias and reduce the prediction accuracy of the classifiers. Therefore, to handle the data imbalanced issue, this thesis aims to develop a data augmentation approach with the integration of machine learning models based on the EHR data collected from diabetic patients’ primary care visits. This research leverages a score-based diffusion generative model to generate high-quality EHR samples for DR patients and improve classification performance. Diffusion models are an emerging generative machine learning model that are used for generating more accurate images compared to other data augmentation approaches like Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN). This thesis aims to test its effectiveness and potential feasibility on non-image data, particularly for EHR data, since diffusion models have been proven that they can generate image data effectively. The classification results show an approximate 7% improvement in terms of the F1 score, which demonstrates that the proposed diffusion model-based EHR data augmentation approach is promising for augmenting non-image data for better predictive modeling like EHR-based disease risk prediction