Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Identification of the antifungal mechanism of EIPE-1 against Cryptococcus neoformans
No full textCryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen found worldwide in soil and bird droppings that can cause disease in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. Cryptococcal meningitis has received global attention and is credited with 152,000 cases of cryptococcal meningitis yearly in the HIV/AIDS population, killing approximately 112,000 people each year. Treatment options for fungal infections are limited, many treatments are toxic, and fungal organisms are becoming resistant to current treatments. Therefore, the discovery of novel antifungal therapies is critical for fighting these deadly infections. Previous studies in our lab showed that a eumelanin-inspired compound, EIPE-1, has antifungal activity against C. neoformans. EIPE-1 treatment led to misshapen cells, and transcriptional data showed differential regulation of fungal genes involved in cell wall synthesis, membrane assembly, and cell stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that fungal strains with mutations in these signaling pathways will be resistant to EIPE-1 treatment. For this, we have screened mutants from the C. neoformans mutant library for those that are available for transcription factors, kinases, and phosphatases. Mutants were mixed in a competition with an m-cherry fluorescent cryptococcal strain and treated with the MIC concentration of EIPE-1 or were left untreated as a control. Following a 24h incubation, cells were analyzed on a flow cytometer to evaluate resistant mutants. Data show that the de mutants tested are more susceptible to EIPE-1 treatment than wild-type cryptococcal cells. Additional studies will examine further mutants to uncover those more resistant to EIPE-1 treatment. Future studies will verity these data by incubating the mutant strains with increasing concentrations of EIPE-1, which will verify their importance in resistance to EIPE-1. Finally, we will examine the how EIPE-1 interacts with the signaling pathway(s) where these genes are located by Western blot to examine phosphorylation of proteins in the identified pathways. These studies will enable us to pinpoint the mechanism of action of EIPE-1 against C. neoformans
Embedding security awareness into IoT-based smart agriculture system
No full textSmart agriculture harnesses Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enhance food security, optimize resource utilization, and promote environmental sustainability. Operating as autonomous, data-driven ecosystems, agricultural IoT deployments face unique security challenges due to their heterogeneous, resource-constrained components, diverse communication protocols, and wide geographic distribution. External dependencies on third-party services—such as weather forecasting, pest detection, and remote diagnostics—further amplify the attack surface, while dynamic environmental factors, energy constraints, and limited technical expertise complicate effective security management. Traditional rule-based approaches lack the adaptability to address evolving threats in these complex systems.
To address these limitations, I propose a context-aware security-aware framework designed for uncertain and dynamic smart agriculture environments. My framework integrates a deep learning (DL) classifier for real-time threat prediction with explainable AI (XAI) techniques to elucidate the model’s decision process. The XAI module identifies critical environmental and operational factors contributing to detected threats. I adopt the Security Assurance Case (SAC) methodology to formally represent security requirements, their interdependencies, enforcement mechanisms, and evidence of compliance. A novel mapping mechanism links XAI-derived explanations to SAC elements, enabling automated identification of affected requirements and their functional implications.
Additionally, I introduce an Importance Factor (IF) metric to quantify the criticality of each system component. Derived from graph-based centrality measures applied to system call graphs, the IF metric highlights components with high impact on overall security posture. These IF values are incorporated into the SAC model, enriching runtime interpretation reports to prioritize mitigation efforts. While detailed mitigation strategies lie beyond the scope of this study, my framework lays the groundwork for informed decision-making.
I validate my approach using a smart irrigation testbed under realistic operational conditions. A deep neural network trained on network traffic data effectively detects distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and the XAI-SAC integration produces actionable, context-aware reports. Experimental results demonstrate that my framework successfully embeds security awareness into smart agriculture systems, providing interpretable insights and enhancing resilience against sophisticated threats.
By delivering interpretable threat analyses and formalized assurance representations, the framework empowers stakeholders to make timely, evidence-based security decisions. Future work will explore automated mitigation orchestration, scalability enhancements, and broader deployment scenarios
Comparison of cover-copy-compare and taped problems on students’ addition fluency based on initial instructional level
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Cover, Copy, Compare and Taped Problems on student computation fluency. The second purpose was to determine if the growth in student performance differed based on initial student fluency level. The use of an alternating treatment design allowed for the direct comparison of both interventions and a control condition across a set of 17 participants. Results indicate that student performance, measured in digits correct per minute, increased during the three conditions. There was significant difference between performance (baseline vs. final), indicating that student performance improved over time. There was a difference between all conditions (Control, Cover-Copy-Compare, and Taped Problems). Additionally, there was an interaction effect between performance and condition. Students performed better in the Taped Problems condition when compared to Control condition, and in the Taped Problems condition when compared to Cover, Copy, Compare condition. There were no differences between the Control and Cover, Copy, Compare conditions between baseline and final assessment. The results of this study indicate that Cover, Copy, Compare and Taped Problems are effective at increasing student computational fluency. Although it appeared that Taped Problems was more effective overall and for students who were already performing in the instructional range, various factors may limit the generalizability of results. Further research with larger sample sizes, with more varied student baseline performance, and implementation of intervention earlier in the academic school year should be conducted to determine if there is a skill-by-treatment interaction
Effects of pinto bean and resistant starch supplementation on bone parameters in a mouse model of estrogen deficiency
No full textObjective: Estrogen plays a role in regulating bone metabolism and a decrease in estrogen compromises bone health. Pinto beans (PB) are good sources of plant-derived estrogens (i.e., phytoestrogens) and fiber that can be fermented by the gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that have been shown to play a role in bone health. This project aims to compare the effects of PB and isolated fiber (i.e.., retrograded resistant starch, RS3 and chemically modified, RS4) on bone parameters and to understand the role of the gut bacteria in maintaining bone health in a mouse model of estrogen deficiency.
Methods: One hundred twenty 3m-old female C57BL/6 mice were made estrogen deficient by injecting with either vinyl cyclohexene diepoxide (VCD, 160 mg/kg bw in sesame oil) or sesame oil (vehicle) for 30 days. After confirmation of estrogen status with vaginal cytology, mice were assigned to one of eight treatment groups for 16 weeks in 4x2 factorial design with diet (Control [AIN-93M], 10% (wt/wt) PB, 5% (wt/wt) RS3 or 5% RS4) and estrogen status (sesame oil or VCD) as factors. The dose of RS is equivalent to the fiber content of the 10% PB. At the end of treatment, fecal samples were collected, body composition was assessed, and femur and L4 vertebrae were collected. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to assess whole body composition as well as bone mineral area (BMA), content (BMC) and density (BMD) of the femur and L4 vertebrae. Micro-computed (uCT) x-ray tomography was also used for microarchitectural analysis of the femur and L4 vertebrae. Fecal samples were analyzed for the concentrations of SCFAs acids using gas chromatography while the activity of the estrogen-deconjugating enzyme, β-glucuronidase, was assessed by colorimetric method. Cecal bacteria was analyzed via 16S rDNA sequencing to assess gut microbial diversity. Data were analyzed using 2-way ANOVA and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: VCD has no effect on whole body BMA but significantly reduce whole body BMC (PVCD = 0.014) and BMD (PVCD = 0.021). However, there was a significant diet effect on whole body BMC (Pdiet = 0.021) with the RS groups having the highest BMC. Despite the effects of VCD on whole body bone parameters, it has no effect on the bone densitometric parameters of the isolated femur and L4 vertebra. Similar to the whole-body BMC, there was a significant dietary effect on L4 vertebral BMA (Pdiet = 0.003), BMC (Pdiet < 0.0001), and BMD (Pdiet < 0.0001) as well as femoral BMD (Pdiet = 0.007). There was a significant dietary effect on femoral Tb. Th and Tb. N (p = 0.0003, 0.0077 respectively), with RS treatment diets tending to have highest measurements. Mice that were on the RS diets also displayed a significant dietary effect, regardless of estrogen status, on the L4 BV/TV (p = 0.0001), Tb. Sp (p = 0.029), Tb. Th (p = 0.0008) and Th. N (p = 0.0112). Mice that received the RS4 diet had the highest vertebral and femoral BMD followed by RS3 and the PB group had the lowest. The effects of RS treatment on fecal SCFAs concentrations follow the same pattern as its effects on bone. There was a significant dietary effect on total SCFA levels (Pdiet < 0.0001) with RS4 group having the highest total SCFAs followed by RS3 group. Similarly, there was a significant dietary effect on β-glucuronidase activity (Pdiet = 0.0031), specifically RS3 tending (P = 0.059) to have higher β-glucuronidase activity than the control group. Mice in the RS dietary groups, regardless of estrogen status, had an increase in microbiome Beta Diversity and Genus Abundance.
Summary: Our findings demonstrate that RS supplementation made more notable improvements in bone densitometric parameters. uCT analysis will give us further insight on the effects of treatment on bone microarchitectural parameters. Moreover, data on gut bacterial diversity will provide more insight of its role on bone health. This study highlights the importance of fiber that are considered as prebiotic and its influence on the gut-bone axis and how this could be utilized to help alleviate conditions related to estrogen deficiency such as osteoporosis
Evidence for a Late Jurassic felsic igneous province beneath the southeastern Georgia (U.S.) Coastal Plain: Constraints from geophysical, petrological, and geochronological data
No full textLegacy petroleum exploration well data from the southeastern Georgia Coastal Plain document the presence of an extensive subsurface felsic igneous province (~14,000 km² in area) in the absence of most other basement lithologies. Previously interpreted as Precambrian or Early Paleozoic in age, a published U-Pb zircon age of 159 +/- 3 Ma (2 σ) on granitic rocks within this complex implies these igneous rocks are Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) in origin. Log suites from a total of 17 wells, along with seismic reflection, potential field, petrological, geochemical, and geochronologic data, are used to evaluate the context of the felsic igneous units (granites, rhyolite flows, and vitric/crystal felsic tuffs) in relation to other subsurface geologic features and units including (1) the Brunswick Suture Zone, (2) the Gondwanan Suwannee Basin stratigraphic sequence, (3) Triassic rift basins of the South Georgia Rift, (4) the Red Beds of Hazlehurst (RbH), and (5) the basal Coastal Plain unconformity (CPU). Current work suggests the rhyolite and volcanoclastic flows sit stratigraphically above the early- to mid-Paleozoic Suwannee Basin stratigraphic sequence, disproving a Precambrian or Early Paleozoic origin for these rocks. The locus of felsic igneous activity appears to coincide with a structurally complex NE-SW-striking zone within the Suwannee Basin sequence, as well as a previously identified transfer zone within the Triassic South Georgia Rift basins. The granite bodies appear at the paleo land surface as the youngest dated unit below the Coastal Plain unconformity in southeastern North America. Tuffaceous sandstone, interpreted as part of the Redbeds of Hazlehurst, sits stratigraphically above felsic tuff, and provides a potentially new and important age constraint for these deposits. The widespread abundance of thick sections of felsic tuff (up to 1 km in thickness) are consistent with a caldera origin for this large igneous complex, which may be reflected in potential field signatures from gravity and magnetic data. A Late Jurassic age for this suite of rocks below the Coastal Plain Unconformity implies either (1) seafloor spreading in the Central Atlantic is as much as 40 Ma younger than previously interpreted or (2) the transition from rift-to-drift in North America is not represented by the Coastal Plain unconformity
Institutional sustainability in U.S. land-grant universities: A comparative study of Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Colorado State University (CSU)
No full textIn an era marked by complex sustainability challenges, universities play a pivotal role in promoting environmentally and socially responsible practices. However, many universities struggle to meet sustainability goals due to traditional institutional practices, resource limitations, and competing priorities. In the U.S., land-grant universities, founded on missions of public service, education, and outreach, hold distinct potential to address sustainability challenges. Despite this promise, little research has examined how land-grant institutions implement sustainability initiatives in practice. This dissertation addresses the research gap through a comparative case study of Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Colorado State University (CSU), two public land-grant, R1 universities operating in distinct socio-political and environmental contexts, with differing Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (AASHE STARS) ratings (Silver and Platinum, respectively). Drawing on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, institutional documents, and a focus group, this study explores the central research question: What are the key drivers and barriers to implementing sustainability initiatives at land-grant universities? The findings reveal how institutional context shapes sustainability governance and highlight the broader potential of land-grant universities to advance sustainability goals through context-sensitive, mission-aligned strategies
Foot-and-Mouth Disease management and consequences on Rwanda's cattle sector: A multi-model approach integrating livestock dynamics, epidemiology, and economic analysis
No full textThis study assesses the economic and epidemiological impacts of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) on Rwanda’s cattle sector, including disease control strategies through an integrated modeling framework. The framework combines a herd dynamics (HDM), an epidemiological FMD spread model (Rw-FMD), a partial equilibrium (PE) analysis, and a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to explore how FMD outbreaks and control measures influence cattle supply, prices, welfare, and macroeconomic outcomes.
Findings show that all control strategies (quarantine, vaccination, and their combination) offer benefits. However, their effectiveness depends on producer compliance, regional coordination, and substantial financial investments. Quarantine is the most cost-effective, while vaccination provides long-term control. The combination of quarantine and vaccination results in the highest outbreak reduction but requires greater resources. The PE analysis suggests that FMD outbreaks raise cattle prices, which affects producers and consumers. Producers may benefit from lack of control interventions. Effective disease control stabilizes prices and enhances livestock survival as well as protein availability.
The CGE model results indicate that robust FMD control strategies can positively affect GDP, employment, and wages, contributing to rural income growth and poverty reduction. In addition, the multiplier effects show that improved cattle productivity stimulates demand across sectors, reinforcing inclusive economic growth. Limitations related to input mobility and intersectoral linkages may represent areas for future research
Herbicide injury in crops: Symptomology and resource building for agricultural extension
No full textHerbicides play a critical role in modern agriculture by managing weed populations and maintaining crop productivity. However, off-target herbicide exposure can result in crop injury that is difficult to distinguish from symptoms caused by abiotic stressors like nutrient deficiency or drought. This study aimed to (1) evaluate herbicide injury symptoms across major Oklahoma crops under greenhouse and field conditions, and (2) contribute to a photographic resource for agricultural extension. Crops including wheat, canola, corn, cotton, sorghum, and camelina were treated with common herbicides such as Metribuzin, Aggressor®, Beyond®, Glyphosate, Dicamba, and 2,4-D. Injury symptoms were rated over a three-week period using standardized scoring scales and photographic documentation.
Results from greenhouse trials showed that symptom onset and severity varied widely by crop and herbicide, with Camelina being highly sensitive to both Metribuzin and Beyond®, and Roundup Ready® canola showing full resistance to Glyphosate. Field data generally mirrored these trends but revealed more gradual symptom development, likely due to environmental variability. CoAXium® wheat demonstrated consistent resilience to Aggressor®, while Showdown wheat experienced more severe injury. The combined greenhouse and field findings highlight the value of integrating both experimental settings to better understand crop-herbicide interactions. Ultimately, this research provides foundational data for future efforts to develop an accessible herbicide injury photo database for use in agricultural extension and crop management decision-making
Integrating concrete testing certifications into a university course curriculum
No full textConstruction materials courses at a university commonly cover sampling and testing concrete. The knowledge and skills developed in both the classroom and laboratory sessions can be further capitalized by incorporating a concrete certification into this course curriculum, which will further validate their knowledge gained and enhance the resume of the students. However, this integration of the entire certification process can be challenging for an instructor. This paper discusses common delivery methods for the instructional training and an overview of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) certification process. This work provides insights of 445 students over a 13 year period for the pass/fail rates of both the written and performance exams for the ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician–Grade I certification. These findings provide valuable ideas for developing a certification curriculum and even improving a current certification curriculum.Fire, Construction and Emergency Managemen