Open Research Oklahoma (Oklahoma State Univ.)
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Assessing the cost-saving potential of the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company for diabetes medications: A comparative study with Medicare Part D pricing
No full textBackground: Diabetes mellitus is a significant health challenge with increasing prevalence rates and substantial economic implications. Prescription drug costs for diabetes medications contribute to the financial burden faced by individuals with this condition. The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) provides generic drugs at affordable prices, potentially alleviating this burden. However, the effectiveness of MCCPDC in reducing diabetes medication costs compared to Medicare has not been assessed.Methods: A cross-sectional review compared drug prices for diabetes medications on the MCCPDC website (as of July 12, 2023) to the 2021 Medicare Part D spending data. The study followed best practice recommendations and ensured transparency and reproducibility. Thirteen drugs were included in the sample, and data extraction and calculations were conducted independently by two authors.Results: Overall, the 30ct drug prices were higher for MCCPDC compared to Medicare, with Medicare potentially saving 60 million over MCCPDC. Metformin significantly impacted cost differences. When excluding Metformin, the overall cost difference for 30ct favored Medicare by 158 million.Conclusion: While the MCCPDC offers cost savings for some diabetic medications compared to Medicare, others show increased prices. Individual drug evaluations are crucial to determine potential cost savings. Further research is needed to explore cost-saving opportunities for other medical care areas through initiatives like MCCPDC
Ink design, rheology and printability of silicon carbide colloidal paste
No full textThe design and formulation of colloidal inks for robocasting present significant challenges, particularly when printing high-solids inks through fine nozzles. While low-solids inks are easier to print, they compromise dimensional accuracy due to excessive shrinkage post-sintering. To mitigate shrinkage and maintain dimensional accuracy, high-solids inks are preferred. However, the high concentration of solids required for these inks makes them difficult to print. This study investigates the influence of attrition milling on silicon carbide (SiC) particle size and morphology and its subsequent effect on the printability of SiC colloidal inks. Attrition milling was carried out on SiC powders for durations of 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, 300, and 600 minutes. The milled powders were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and acoustic spectroscopy to assess changes in particle size and morphology. Based on the milled and as-received powders, eight (8) different inks were formulated to investigate the effect of particle size on the printability of the colloidal paste. In a subsequent experiment, a systematic ink formulation process was employed to optimize dispersant and flocculant concentrations, aiming to increase the solids content from 44 vol% to 50 vol%. The results demonstrated that attrition milling effectively reduces particle size and improves morphology, with a milling duration of 180 minutes identified as the most efficient for producing printable pastes while minimizing energy consumption. Rheological modeling and characterization revealed that a dispersant-to-flocculant ratio of approximately 12:1 was optimal for 50 vol% inks, achieving higher yield stress and elastic modulus compared to the 3:1 ratio used for 44 vol% inks. The fabricated 3D SiC lattice structures demonstrate the potential of this approach to produce geometrically complex, high-performance ceramic components. This work advances additive manufacturing techniques for ceramics by providing critical insights into ink design, particle size optimization, and controlled bridging flocculation, enabling the development of robust ceramic pastes for robocasting
"You are hope made flesh": Gender and sexuality in Indigenous Oklahoma
No full textThe history of Indigenous understandings of gender and sexuality are complex and multifaceted. My research mines this cave of complexity in hopes to understand two-spirit life and its connections to the past ancestors and future kin. At the core, this writing asserts that modern two-spirit Indigenous people are a continuation and transformation of practices and identity of their past predecessors. Just like the discipline of history, two-spirit continuities are also accompanied by change. Ultimately, the two-spirit people are variation of each other only separated by time. The history of two-spirit people is extremely intricate and contains multiple truths. Using Muscogee methodologies, this research uses the state of Oklahoma as a way to investigate two-spirit life. The temporal scopes range from the 1800s to 2024. Many past histories on the topic offer a national approach to two-spirit history. While no doubt important, a larger national scope misses the very real, on-the-ground, experiences of Indigenous two-spirit people. The records concerning two-spirit people presented a challenged as narratives reveal multiple gaps. This dissertation seeks to expand knowledge of the two-spirit world by finding tangible topics in which to survey including religion, gender, sexuality, legal systems, politics, Oklahoma history, migration, community, and oral histories. These themes work together to form a story about some of the two-spirit people. Engaging with Native American and Indigenous Studies methodologies, my own person is written into the history to show how my life intertwined with my own research project. The inclusion of myself may help others to think about their own lives and experiences. Readers may realize they are not alone. The whole project is a loving study made for my family and community. Mvto (thank you!
Three essays on cattle production and marketing economics: Pasture establishment, calf management practices, and regional differences in valuation of calf attributes
No full textThis dissertation contributes to economic research on pasture establishment methods for stocker cattle operations, cattle marketing, and evaluation of regional differences in the value of calf attributes in parts of the Midwest and Great Plains. Research on these issues have important policy implications towards ensuring environmental conservation, revenue optimization, and sustainability of cattle operations.Chapter 2 focuses on determining the agronomic and economic benefits of using no-till (NT) and clean-till (CT) establishment methods for establishing winter cereal pasture on measures of animal performance and net returns, as well as evaluating the sensitivity of the net returns to changes in prices of fuel, glyphosate, and wage rate. Results indicate that CT has an agronomic advantage over NT; calves that grazed CT established pastures realized grater total body weight gain. However, the NT system had a greater net return due to its low establishment cost relative to the CT method. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the NT method is robust to changes in prices of fuel, glyphosate, and wage rate.
Chapters 3 and 4 address gaps in the existing literature on factors affecting feeder cattle prices. Chapter 3 focuses on the impact of pre-marketing weaning period length on feeder cattle prices in Oklahoma. This objective was motivated by anecdotal evidence from livestock auctions revealing higher prices for calves weaned for longer periods before sale. Using data from feeder cattle auctions across seven locations in Oklahoma, a hedonic model was estimated to evaluate the impact of an additional 15-days increase in the pre-marketing weaning period length beyond the market protocol of 30 days. Results indicate that calves weaned for longer periods attract higher premiums, with premiums peaking at 105-119 days and declining for weaning period lengths beyond 119 days. Chapter 4 uses a targeted Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) survey data on feeder cattle auctions across seven states. A Bayesian hedonic model was estimated to determine differences in calf management practices and attributes across states. Results indicate significant difference in the value of calf attributes across states. Ongoing research in these areas would provide relevant information for cattle producers and policy makers
Firewood recommendations for using firewood as an indoor heating source in Oklahoma
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
4-H cotton improvement
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
Dads making a difference: Staying connected in challenging times
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
Family life and recreation
No full textThe Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311
Quantifying indirect nitrous oxide emissions from groundwater wells in Oklahoma
No full textUnderstanding how nitrogen is transported and transformed in the environment will enable management that decreases negative consequences of excess nitrogen (e.g.,climate change, eutrophication). Indirect nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions are those that result from nitrogen inputs to aquatic compartments, and they are responsible for most of the uncertainty surrounding global N₂O emissions because they are often not measured. Although nitrate (NO₃₋) is often measured in groundwater, the amount of indirect N₂O emissions from groundwater is largely underreported. N₂O, a potent greenhouse gas, can be produced through the biological reduction of NO₃₋ in water or soil. Excess NO₃₋ in the soil raises concerns for the possibility of NO₃₋ leaching into the groundwater, which could lead to N₂O emissions from irrigation wells. This study aims to quantify N₂O concentrations in Oklahoma groundwater wells to assess the significance of indirect emissions during irrigation, and to assess the relationship between dN₂O and various nutrients and water quality parameters. Eleven groundwater monitoring wells in Oklahoma with differing initial NO₃₋ concentrations were identified and sampled in different seasons. Water quality parameters were assessed in the field with a YSI probe and in the lab with a Hach spectrophotometer. Lab equilibrium experiments were also performed with headspace gas analyzed for N₂O with gas chromatography to quantity dN₂O. In addition to quantifying dN₂O and water quality parameters for each well, the relationship between variables was assessed using the spearman’s rank correlation test in R. Dissolved N₂O concentrations ranged from 4.73 to 224 µg/L, with higher values in the fall and spring than summer. Generally, dN₂O had a strong positive relationship with NO₃₋ concentration, electrical conductivity (EC), and total organic carbon (TOC), and a strong negative relationship with copper (Cu). Well samples were over-saturated relative to atmospheric N₂O concentrations and therefore would induce N₂O emissions when pumped to the surface. Furthermore, emission factors (EF₅) for groundwater exceeded those estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In conclusion, groundwater with high NO₃₋ concentration and EC can be expected to have high N₂O emissions when withdrawn for purposes like irrigation
Method optimization for recombinant protein production
No full textIntroduction: Recombinant proteins are highly desirable for treating many blood coagulation disorders. They pose fewer risks than plasma-derived proteins. Production of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells (HEK293) is a delicate and lengthy process.Aim: To optimize cell culture techniques and increase the yield of recombinantly prepared proteins.Method: The optimized methods for protein expression, purification, and characterization involved several steps including protein transfection, stable cell line generation, purification using Q-Sepharose, and utilization of an FPLC machine. The transfection technique involved introducing the target plasmids into the cells using various transfection methods such as lipofection. The transfection process ensured that the desired proteins were expressed in the cells for subsequent analysis. The generation of a stable cell line ensured consistent expression of the target proteins, providing a reliable source for subsequent experiments. The ion exchange technique allowed for the separation and purification of the target proteins from the conditioned media, reducing background interference and enriching the protein of interest. The Q-Sepharose column, through its ion exchange properties, selectively bound the target proteins while allowing contaminants to flow through. The FPLC machine utilized a size-exclusion chromatography technique, which enabled the resolution of complex protein mixtures and the detection of target proteins with high sensitivity.Result: In the current study and utilizing optimized methods, we purified and characterized several novel proteins and variants including VWF, ADAMTS13, ADAMTS7, and variants (D4, 3AE, 3A, D4-CK, FQ, Q2). The protein transfection technique allowed for the efficient delivery of target proteins into the cells, while the creation of stable cell lines ensured their consistent expression. Additionally, the purification process using a Q-Sepharose column enabled the isolation of the desired proteins with high specificity. Lastly, the FPLC machine facilitated the separation and analysis of the purified proteins.Conclusion: Several novel coagulation proteins were prepared and characterized using optimized methods. They will be used for subsequent experiments