Latest technologies from Oklahoma State University

FALCON: Flight Autonomy and Local Climate Observation Navigator

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:50:18 GMT

BACKGROUND Many technologies help researchers and meteorologists collect atmospheric data such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed or direction. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), which often carry advanced and costly detection instruments, are among the most common tools used for this purpose. However, scientists studying severe weather may hesitate to risk losing these expensive systems in hazardous conditions, leaving important atmospheric data uncollected and key questions about the formation and dynamics of severe weather unanswered. As a result, there is a signif...

Destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by thermal oxidation processes using solid catalysts

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:06:29 GMT

BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent “forever chemicals” used in products like firefighting foams, textiles, and coatings, where strong C-F bonds make them resistant to breakdown and prone to long-term accumulation in water, soil and biota. Growing links to cancer, immune and developmental effects, combined with tightening drinking water standards and mounting clean-up liability, mean that simply concentration PFAS into sorbents is no longer enough. There is a clear need for scalable technologies that can destroy PFAS under practical operatin...

Extracellular Vesicle-carried Molecular Biomarkers for Cattle with Respiratory Diseases

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:00:27 GMT

BACKGROUND Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the leading cause of economic loss in the cattle industry with the disease being rapidly spread throughout populations. While BRD can be treated with antimicrobial drugs, there is a lack of adequate diagnostic tools to determine healthy versus infected cattle which can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant populations. In conclusion, a definitive testing protocol is needed to reduce economic loss and loss of life, caused by the spread of BRD. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at Oklahoma State University have developed a novel appro...

Megasphaera stantonii and Methods of Use

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:50:12 GMT

BACKGROUND The poultry industry is facing serious challenges due to necrotic enteritis (NE), a bacterial disease that causes severe damage to the intestines and results in billions of dollars in global losses each year. The situation has worsened since the phase-out of in-feed antibiotics, leaving producers with limited options for disease prevention. Traditional treatments often fall short, relying on antibiotics that can lead to resistance or probiotics that yield inconsistent results. This situation highlights the urgent need for safe, effective, and antibiotic-free solutions to protect po...

A Copilot for Assistive and Cooperative Driving in Mixed Traffic

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:36:04 GMT

BACKGROUND Driving copilot systems that communicate with drivers represent an emerging frontier in vehicle automation designed to enhance safety, user experience, and vehicle control. These systems go beyond the traditional role of passive driver assistance by acting as active copilots that understand, interpret, and respond to driver behavior and situational context through natural language or multimodal interaction. This conversational capability enables real-time feedback on driver state—such as distraction or drowsiness—alongside providing adaptive, context-aware guidance for ...

Steam-Liquid Cylindrical Cyclone Separator System

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:41:15 GMT

BACKGROUND For decades, the petroleum and brine industries have pushed for the development of a method to efficiently desalinate multiphase flow mixtures. Mixed fluids, like produced water (PW), could be broken down into usable gas, oil, and water for the purpose of processing, reusing, or safely disposing of the components. Existing technologies utilize conventional gravity based vertical and horizontal separation techniques, which are expensive and bulky. The development of an alternative that is smaller and less expensive is ideal for petroleum and other chemical processing industries to e...

EyeFM: Reverse Image Intelligence for Smarter Facility Asset Management

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 07:43:21 GMT

BACKGROUND Effective facility management is a crucial component for building functionality and safety, and despite current upkeep efforts, many facilities managers find themselves stuck with Unplanned Maintenance (UPM). Unplanned Maintenance significantly disrupts building functionality despite extensive Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) efforts leading to downstream ripple effects that can disrupt the entire building systems due to misunderstood component dependencies. Therefore, facility asset management remains a significant challenge across large and complex infrastructures when iden...

An intelligent homecare system

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 07:36:49 GMT

BACKGROUND The United States, in trend with the rest of the world, is experiencing a major population demography shift, with the population of people aged 65 or older projected to reach 80.8 million by 2040. In a world facing a rapidly aging population and strains on traditional caregiving, there is an increasing need for technology to serve as a catalyst for transforming home healthcare into a proactive, intelligent, and personalized experience. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Oklahoma State Researchers have designed an AI-powered Intelligent Homecare System (IHS) designed to support elderly heal...

OSU Turf Research - Bermudagrass

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 07:21:50 GMT

BACKGROUND Selecting the right grass for a specific environment is crucial to achieving the desired appearance, durability, and maintenance outcomes. Different grass varieties vary widely in their water requirements, resistance to pests and diseases, sod strength, and tolerance to salinity. In regions prone to drought and experiencing heavy use, such as southern lawns, sports stadiums and golf courses, having a grass variety specifically adapted to those challenges is essential. These venues represent substantial investments and sources of revenue where turf performance directly impacts funct...

A parametrically driven CAD file for generating 3D printable customized microscope slide storage boxes

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:12:20 GMT

BACKGROUND Traditionally, glass microscope slides are stored in cardboard slide boxes that can be flimsy, expensive, contain an inadequate number of slots, incorrect slide dimensions, and may deteriorate upon contact with prolonged laboratory exposure. The alternative is purchasing plastic microscope slide boxes, which are costly and non-customizable. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU researchers have created a customizable CAD file that enables users to 3D print parametric microscope slide boxes. This workflow allows users to customize the number of slides in each box, slide dimensions, and the th...

Oklahoma State Red Winter Wheat Research

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:33:16 GMT

BACKGROUND Hard red winter wheat is a cornerstone of Oklahoma’s agricultural economy, representing the state’s leading plant commodity and contributing over $1 billion annually. Oklahoma State University has a longstanding reputation in wheat variety development, with more than half of the state’s producers relying on OSU genetics. To address evolving challenges in yield stability, disease resistance, and multi-purpose wheat management, OSU initiated the development of OK 18510 – named High Cotton– in 2010. This effort was part of a broader strategy to sustain an...

Real time determination of catalyst poisoning Phosphorous during renewable hydrocarbon production

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:41:47 GMT

BACKGROUND Catalyst poisoning - defined as the loss or reduction of catalytic activity due to contaminants binding to or chemically altering binding sites - remains a major obstacle in the production of renewable hydrocarbon and biofuels. Among these contaminates, phosphorus is particularly troublesome. It originates from natural phospholipids present in renewable feedstocks and forms stable, irreversible compounds on catalytic surfaces. This leads to rapid deactivation and significantly increases operational costs. Conventional methods for assessing phosphorus contamination are often slow, e...

Targeted Delivery of Personal Sprays

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:46:15 GMT

BACKGROUND Electrostatic spray guns are currently being used only in paint applications, using voltage to directly deliver the aerosol to the target area due to traditional atomization devices causing loss of product to the surrounding environment. This loss of product is also the case with personal spray products like perfumes, deodorants, and hair sprays, with many particle droplets not contacting the body. Additionally, medical aerosol procedures such as cryogenics, including wart removal, can target a greater surface area than medically necessary due to a lack of precise application. &nb...

Single Step Multiplexed Metagenome Sequencing based Bacterial/Viral Pathogen Detection for Bovine Respiratory Disease

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:30:59 GMT

BACKGROUND Traditional pathogen identification is a cornerstone of both veterinary and medical diagnostics. For decades, methods such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and bacterial or culturing have been widely used. However, these techniques are often time-consuming and resource intensive. Typically, only a limited number of pathogens can be detected at once, and results may require significant time for analysis. In today’s rapidly evolving infectious disease landscape, there is a pressing need for faster and more efficient pathogen identification to keep pace with the swift spread o...

Balloon Swivel

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 09:41:36 GMT

BACKGROUND Unmanned balloons with sensor payloads, often called heliotropes, are utilized to collect a variety of ecological and geographical information through incorporating a payload with specific sensors and systems for desired data collection. Due to their unmanned nature, accessories for controlling the payload after takeoff are critical for safe and efficient flights. Specifically, the apparatus that connects the payload reel-down system to the aircraft, the swivel mechanism, is a critical component, to prevent built-up twist in the line triggering downstream rotational forces on paylo...

Micro Turbojet Thrust Reverser

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:04:45 GMT

BACKGROUND Current micro-turbojets lack the ability to reverse thrust, making it more difficult to decelerate after landing and handle rejected takeoffs. Additionally, overall maneuverability of the aircraft is much lower without reverse thrusting capabilities, making it difficult to brake or descend. By adding thrust reversal, these micro-turbojets can exhibit greater flexibility in practical applications, such as landing on short or unpaved landing strips. It could also influence innovation in several unique types of air and ground vehicles. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) platforms could ben...

Micro Turbojet Variable-Nozzle

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:00:11 GMT

BACKGROUND Precise thrust control in turbojet UAS (unmanned aerial systems) platforms and traditional propulsion applications are becoming increasingly critical as military missions such as loitering munition and Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) are developing more demanding criteria. UAS platforms responsible for high-speed reconnaissance and prolonged loitering require precise control over thrust output. The craft ultimately needs adaptable propulsion solutions. Innovations that can meet thrust control performance targets, such as thrust range and maximum thrust, while minim...

CO2Bio: A new TOUGHREACT module to simulate geological carbon and hydrogen storage under biotic conditions

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:49:27 GMT

BACKGROUND High carbon emissions have quickly become a critical issue in the United States. Oklahoma ranks third in natural gas production and fourth in crude oil production in the U.S. Because of this, an innovation in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) could become crucial in reducing emissions near depleted oil reservoirs in Oklahoma. Strategies such as Geological Carbon Storage by structural, dissolution, residual, and mineral trapping mechanisms in deep saline aquifers have been extensively studied. Several simulation programs exist but are constrained to analyze the physica...

Downdraft Gasifier with Internal Cyclonic Combustion Chamber

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:44:29 GMT

BACKGROUND The gasification process offers significant potential for converting biomass materials into energy fuels and chemicals in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Traditional throat-type downdraft gasifiers have been able to convert solid biomass into producer gas, but with several major limitations. The throat section can obstruct the downward flow of the biomass material, making the design only suitable for high density biomass with reduced particle size to allow easier throughput in the narrow throat section. Additionally, cold spots can occur at the center of the throa...

Use of Chloroplast translation factor for increasing photosynthesis, biomass and yield

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:36:18 GMT

BACKGROUND Our world currently faces the urgent challenge of increasing global food and feed production to meet rapidly growing demand. By 2050, food demand is projected to raise as much as 98%, not only to nourish expanding human and animal populations, but also to supply plant biomass for alternative energy sources. Achieving this growth depends on optimizing fundamental biological processes such as protein synthesis, where factors like EF-G (Elongation Factor G) play a vital role in supporting robust plant growth and biomass accumulation by ensuring efficient cellular function and developm...

Nanoporous carbon adsorbents derived from spent coffee grounds for CO2 capture

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:09:51 GMT

BACKGROUND Climate change has quickly emerged as a critical global challenge, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions considered the largest contributor to this climate crisis. These emissions are directly linked to shifts in weather patterns, an increase in extreme weather events, and the accelerated melting of polar ice caps. As climate impacts intensify, it becomes important that the amount of CO2 emissions is significantly reduced. Addressing this challenge requires innovative solutions capable of not only capturing CO2 emissions, but being able to do so in a cost-effective and sustainable ma...

INTegrated ACoustic Toolkit (INTACT)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 08:57:11 GMT

BACKGROUND Historically, acoustic emissions (AE) have been used to determine critical failures in infrastructure such as cracks or faults. The frequency sent through the structure changes as faults occur in the structure due to cyclical stress. This allows sensors to register the change in frequency and categorize the change in a data log. Other sensors such as load sensors; displacement sensors and vibration sensors are currently in use in industry. However, there are no currently available solutions for assessing the structural health of an infrastructure using data returned from these sens...

Single Step, Multiplexed, Metagenome Sequencing based Bacterial Pathogen Detection for Gastrointestinal Disturbances (Salmonella spp., C. perfringens, E. coli, Klebsiella spp.)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 08:50:49 GMT

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal disturbances can be caused by a wide range of pathogens or an overabundance of certain microbial families. Detecting pathogenic bacteria and analyzing the overall microbial composition of the gut can help identify imbalances that may lead to dysbiosis. Current diagnostic technologies often struggle to detect more than a handful of pathogens at once, which is insufficient given the dense and diverse population of the gut microbiome. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Oklahoma State University researchers have created a quick and efficient workflow for gastrointestinal pathogen...

Redbud FOLIO Assistant

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 07:11:35 GMT

BACKGROUND Future of Libraries is Open (FOLIO) is a modern Library Service platform built by an open community. FOLIO is a collaboration of libraries, developers, and vendors building an open-source library service platform. The architecture is modular and adaptable, providing choice and protection from vendor lock-in. Ultimately, the FOLIO community is open to all, including libraries, developers, vendors, consortia, and networks, working together to build a library service platform that enables innovation. As this community continues to grow, continued innovation leads to an open, modern, f...

Coating, Layer, and Bulk Material for Extreme Thermal Protection

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:47:40 GMT

BACKGROUND As we continue to push the performance boundaries of modern technology, the need for effective thermal protection of concrete or common building structures becomes increasingly critical. Electric Vehicle battery fires can exceed 2,000 °F and threaten property and lives. Extreme heat in industrial equipment applications, including furnaces and kilns, stress materials and require costly replacement to ensure safety standard. Rocket exhaust temperatures can reach up to 6,000°F, creating a need to protect the launchpad and surrounding concrete when used for multiple launches. E...

Photocatalytic activity of Cu2O-Pd NPs for Carbon-Carbon (C-C) Coupling Reactions under Visible Light Illumination

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:37:57 GMT

BACKGROUND There is an increasing need for sourcing thermal energy and sustainable catalytic processes at low cost and with minimal carbon emissions, especially within the bulk and fine chemical industries. These sectors rely heavily on carbon-carbon (C-C) bond-forming reactions to synthesize valuable chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and materials. However, traditional catalytic methods often involve expensive metals and harsh conditions, leading to high costs, significant energy consumption, and harmful emissions that contribute to environmental and economic challenges. Developing efficient, eart...

Single Step Metagenome Sequencing based Detection of SARS-CoV-2

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:22:50 GMT

BACKGROUND Traditional detection of SARS-CoV-2 has primarily relied on real time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reactions (RT-PCR), a highly sensitive and specific method for identifying viral RNA. This technique is typically conducted in laboratory environments and can require several days to obtain results. Given the rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2, timely diagnosis is critical for effective infection control and outbreak management. While RT-PCR remains the current standard for COVID-19 diagnosis, there is a growing need for faster, portable and more accessible workflows to help m...

Mechano-chemical Recovery of Platinum Groum Metals (PGMs) from Metal-Foil Supported Spend Auto Catalysts

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:28:59 GMT

BACKGROUND Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) are extremely valuable and versatile once recovered. These metals can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including hydrogen fuel cells, electronics, and medical devices such as pacemakers. Historically, used auto catalytic converters have been a valuable source of these PGMs. However, previously used pyro- or hydrometallurgical methods used for recovery of platinum from used automobile catalytic converters were only developed for ceramic substrate-based converters. This recycling process used for ceramic substrates is only partially suitable for me...

Small Cetacean Breath Analysis Siphon

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:01:19 GMT

BACKGROUND Cetaceans, which include whales, dolphins, and porpoises, are vital components of the marine ecosystem, as they play essential roles in maintaining balance and supporting biodiversity. Historically, collecting valuable physiological data from wild cetaceans has employed invasive methods, such as boat capture, remotely darted biopsies, or netting for small cetaceans such as dolphins. These invasive methods can cause stress or injury to the animals, while contaminating the results due to stress-induced physiological changes. Some researchers have considered utilizing uncrewed a...

Solar Balloon reel-down

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:40:51 GMT

BACKGROUND Heliotropes are simple unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that operate at zero pressure and deploy payloads for collecting data in fields such as environmental monitoring, aerospace research, emergency response, and infrastructure inspection. These payloads are attached to the UAS by “flight lines”, which are durable cords managed by tethers and reels (unwinders). Keeping the flight lines short during the initial ascent helps prevent unwanted swinging, spinning, or tangling of the payload, thus improving launch stability and control. After reaching a specified altitude or at...

Point-of-Need Colorimetric Serum and Salivary Insulin Immunosensor

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 08:06:33 GMT

BACKGROUND Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by impaired insulin production or action, resulting in poor regulation of glucose. While current continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technologies are vital tools for diabetes management, they primarily measure glucose, which exists at high (millimolar) concentrations. However, insulin, the hormone central to diabetes care, circulates at much lower (picomolar) levels, making its detection significantly more challenging. Conventional insulin testing requires centralized laboratory assays, which are not suitable for frequent, real-time, or p...

Fishery Analysis Applications

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 09:14:07 GMT

BACKGROUND Fisheries professionals routinely collect fish data for population monitoring. These data are often collected and analyzed in regional offices. A centralized data management application would be preferable because it provides a central data storage repository of all data for an agency (with backup), standardizes the analysis approach used to produce indexes and metrics generated from the data, and automates the production of these indexes and metrics. A centralized data management application also makes it easy to look at changes to fish populations through time a...

Discovery of ammonium salts of alpha-fluoroarylated Meldrum's acid derivatives

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:48:19 GMT

BACKGROUND Meldrum’s acid is widely used as a building block in the synthesis of diverse organic compounds, including natural products and pharmaceuticals. Despite its broad utility, efficient and general methods for the direct mono-arylation of Meldrum’s acid remain limited. At the same time, there is a growing demand for partially fluorinated arenes in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and materials industries due to their valuable properties. Developing a strategy that couples the reactivity of Meldrum’s acid with perfluorinated or polyfluorinated aromatics would enable r...

Method to sustain culture activity, gas uptake and improve selectivity for ethanol production during syngas or producer gas fermentation in bioreactors

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:39:19 GMT

BACKGROUND Global energy demand continues to rise while fossil fuel reserves decline, heightening the need for sustainable alternatives such as biofuels. Syngas- a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and carbon dioxide (CO2)- can be biologically converted into valuable chemicals including alcohols through microbial fermentation. However, efficient and selective bioconversion is hindered by several challenges, notably the low solubility of CO and H2 gases in the fermentation broth, which limits mass transfer and substrate availability for bacteria. Additionally, imbalances in gas s...

Feedback control of gas supply for ethanol production via syngas fermentation

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:31:26 GMT

BACKGROUND Synthesis gas, syngas, fermentation uses carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) to produce valuable alcohols like ethanol, with companies such as INEOS Bio and LanzaTech piloting large-scale facilities. Achieving economic viability in this process requires stable, high-yield alcohol production over long periods, which depends on carefully matching the syngas supply to the metabolic capacity of the bacteria in the fermenter. Traditional methods rely on operators to manually adjust gas flow rates, a practice that often leads to inefficiencies, inconsistent product yield, energy waste...

Redox-based Meat Discoloration Monitoring Tool

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:50:59 GMT

BACKGROUND Meat is a vital food source, rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins, that form a critical component of the human diet. However, meat quality and freshness are largely determined by its color, which consumers worldwide use as a primary indicator when making purchasing or meat use decisions. The red color of fresh meat primarily originates from the balance between oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin, with discoloration leading to brown hues that signify reduced freshness and quality. This presents a major challenge for the meat industry, costing an estimated 4 billion in losses annually i...

Method for depositing thin nanocrystalline diamond films using processed 6nm nanodiamond seeding material

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 07:06:09 GMT

BACKGROUND The rapid growth of power electronics has been driven by increased automation, renewable energy adoption, and the rise of electric and hybrid vehicles, has intensified challenges related to heat dissipation. High-power devices generate substantial heat, which negatively impacts their lifetime, reliability, and efficiency. Traditional thermal management approaches remove heat from the substrate rather than directly from the device layer, limiting performance improvements and adding complexity to system design. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Oklahoma State University researchers developed a...

Small Gas Turbine Engine Advanced Manufacturing Combustor Turbine Design for Advanced-Manufactured Small-Scale Turbojet Engines

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:52:52 GMT

BACKGROUND High-speed unmanned aircraft are currently used for a variety of time-critical missions but are limited by several key factors. Turbine rotational speeds are constrained by mechanical stress and thermal limitations. High operating temperatures combined with higher rotational speeds can lead to undesired malfunctions within a turbojet engine. Additionally, current small turbojet engines have a very low Mean Time Between Overhaul (MTBO) of only around 25 hours of operation. There is also a limited worldwide production capacity for these engines, none of which reside in the United Sta...

Nucleic acid sequence-based detection and characterization using genome-level pseudo-imaging and machine learning

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:17:38 GMT

BACKGROUND Whole genome sequencing provides a complete snapshot of an organism’s genetic code, enabling evolutionary inference through quantification of nucleotide similarities. However, reference databases exhibit bias toward well-studied species due to long-tail distributions and sampling gaps. These imbalances risk species misidentification and hinder the characterization of novel taxa. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU Researchers have developed TEPI (Taxonomy-Aware Embedding and Pseudo-Imaging), revolutionizing genome classification through innovative embedding and imaging techniques for...

Novel fungal glycosyl hydrolases, their production and uses thereof

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:45:21 GMT

BACKGROUND In the biofuels industry, enzymes are used to convert agricultural residues, such as sorghum stover, into simple sugars for fuel and chemical production. Conventional biological conversion relies on pretreating the biomass, which is expensive and requires the use of harsh chemicals. Conversely, fungi-derived enzymes (cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases and lignin-degrading enzymes) have been studied for their ability to decompose biomass without a chemical or physical pretreatment. An ideal blend of these enzymes may produce the most productive multi-enzyme complex, yet pro...

Rapid Microbial Collection and Nucleic Acid Recovery Device

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:20:17 GMT

Background of Invention The existing technology for collection of samples is paper based system called FTA. The FTA technology is not soluble, which significantly limits its application in rapid disease dignostics. Another application consists in the direct use of sodium carboxy methyle cellulose cards (SCMC) with 96 wells printed (ELISA like format). This format is useful for storage of nucleic acids. The idea is, however, an improved adaptation from FTA technology. Summary of Invention The technology relates to generation of sampling devices that incorporate lateral flow technology....

Small target motion reactivity for swarming

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:32:11 GMT

BACKGROUND Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) can be deployed as tactical swarms that coordinate autonomously for military operations, creating a need to hide vehicular activity for positive mission outcomes. Formation patterns and coordinated movement can make UAS swarms easier to identify as suspicious. Additionally, GPS dependencies make current solutions cost-prohibitive with significant infrastructure requirements, and Radio Frequency (RF) communication between systems can be susceptible to interference and tracking. These challenges also present higher computation needs, making it difficult ...

MULTI-CHANNEL INFUSION MICRONEEDLE

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:40:37 GMT

BACKGROUND In medical settings, often multiple drugs need to be administered via injection which requires numerous sterile needles and their corresponding injection sites on the patient. Many medications cannot be mixed into solution as complex chemical reactions between the two drugs could occur preemptively. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU researchers have developed a microneedle with multiple channels for administering more than one drug simultaneously, without mixing. This allows the faster delivery of life-saving medications, as well as decreases the number of injection sites on th...

Protein engineering and protein optimization based on ancestral sequence reconstruction using evolutionary molecular meandering and fitness well dragging

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:34:55 GMT

BACKGROUND An Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction (ASR) highlights the evolutionary pathway of proteins and how some protein homologs have differed in both structural and functional composition throughout evolution. These differing compositions have resulted in proteins with variable abilities, which may have previously been overlooked due to the lack of a precise protocol for investigating evolutionarily extant proteins. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU researchers have designed a novel approach to Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction and direct evolution in silico to identify necessary residual...

Recycled Composite Extruder

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:17:34 GMT

TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION The national carpet recycling rate is substantially lower than the amount produced, creating large amounts of carpet waste. This leads to conceiving a method to continuously produce recycled carpet composites. A machine combines carpet and plastic together through compressive force, producing a composite material that shows properties acceptable for light structural applications. This machine deploys a pusher system that contains the carpet HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) in an air tight, low oxygen environment. The hot plastic and carpet are forced throug...

Method to produce hydrogen from residual oil in-situ in depleted oil reservoirs used for geological carbon storage

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 07:31:42 GMT

BACKGROUND Hydrogen is a versatile resource that possesses clean energy potential. It can be used for applications such as electricity generation, petroleum refinement, and fertilizer production with no carbon dioxide emissions when used as fuel. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles utilize hydrogen gas, potentially reducing air pollution in transportation. However, the cost gap between producing hydrogen and fossil fuels is still substantial. A cost-effective method to produce hydrogen could play a critical role in moving towards a hydrogen-based energy future. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at...

Singular Knee Identification for Emergence Recognition (SKIER)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 15 May 2025 12:13:26 GMT

BACKGROUND How can an observer determine when a collection of moving agents reflects coordination beyond a high traffic scenario? This kind of systematic coordination is referred to as “emergence,” which continues to lack a systemic mathematical definition that allows for rigorous behavior detection. Physical flocks and swarms that contain both deterministic elements and stochastic perturbations, such as measurement noise, would benefit from such precise emergence detection. This would include testing for behaviors such as flock formation, combined cohesion, velocity alignment, a...

A Retro Fit Kit to the Exhaust of a JetCat P100 for Electrical Power Generation

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 06 May 2025 05:55:36 GMT

BACKGROUND As the performance of small, high-speed aircraft continues to advance, the demand for efficient power systems becomes increasingly critical. Systems on aircraft such as navigation, communication, and flight control are all vital for successful operations. Advancements in military aircraft technology continue to grow in areas such as radar and weapons systems. Even consumer use of UAVs and drones is requiring expanded logistical operations and situational awareness during autonomous flight. As power supply demands grow, the need for efficient, mobile power sources grows. A solution ...

Method of manufacturing wear-resistant nanocomposite coatings at low temperatures

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 05 May 2025 17:03:47 GMT

BACKGROUND Protecting mechanical components in harsh environments, such as extreme sliding or rolling contacts, is critical for ensuring the reliability and efficiency of high-demand systems. To protect these components, nanocomposites consisting of hard refractory carbides are employed as wear-resistant coatings. In particular, tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) based nanocomposites are extensively used due to their excellent hardness, strength, corrosion resistance, and resistance against sliding and abrasive wear. However, methods of application such as Thermal Sprays can require up to 1,000&...

Data Management Tool for Wastewater Assets Update

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:43:31 GMT

BACKGROUND Collecting condition assessment data on manholes and pipelines has become standard practice for municipal utilities. However, the management of the collected data and integration of the data for sewer asset management decision use have remained challenging. Data interoperability is an issue as different data collection applications have been used and different data formats exist. Data quality remains questionable since no standard data quality assurance process is implemented. In addition, the storage of the data has been siloed, making it difficult to locate necessary data. ...

Nitrate removal from water by means of carbon adsorbents derived from spent coffee grounds

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 13:38:35 GMT

BACKGROUND High levels of nitrate ions in drinking water can pose health risks to humans and livestock. These nitrates can infiltrate drinking water by means of agricultural activities and wastewater. Fertilizers used in agriculture can be carried away by rainwater into nearby lakes and rivers. Wastewater from failed septic systems can also find its way into nearby water sources. When these nitrate ions contaminate drinking water, it becomes critical that we have a way to effectively remove them. There are several solutions that exist, such as reverse osmosis and distillation, but these strat...

System to monitor and control supplement intake

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:58:57 GMT

BACKGROUND The United States is home to around 87.2 million cattle, with over 700,000 cattle farms. Many ranchers utilize liquid feed for their cattle, which is commercially available and widely used, but it is not possible to monitor feed consumption for each individual cow. Traditionally, cattle stand at a covered tank and lick a rotating wheel. While this solution provides feed access, there is no way to detect if any cows are over or under consuming. If a cow is over-consuming, the feed is wasted, and health issues could arise. Cows that are under-consuming are at risk for nutritional def...

PulmoPrecise: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Empowered User-Centered Smart Inhaler for Targeted Drug Delivery to Designated Lung Sites

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:17:05 GMT

Background Managing pulmonary diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis presents considerable challenges, particularly in achieving directed drug delivery to the lungs at the necessary doses. The primary approach for both long-term treatment and rescue drug delivery involves the use of inhaler devices, wherein the patient forcibly inhales an aerosolized drug dose. Traditional inhalers have inefficient medication distribution and delivery, which keeps drugs from reaching the necessary locations in the lungs, as well as wasted dosages. These shortcoming...

Conductive Organic Threads as Electrical Interconnects for Smart Clothing and Non-metallic Electrodes for Clinical Applications

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 14:56:34 GMT

BACKGROUND Organic conductive fibers are a combination of electric wires and textiles having characteristics of both used to transfer electric current. Conductive fibers consist of a non-conductive or less conductive substrate, which is then either coated or embedded with electrically conductive elements. Because it is thin and flexible, can take many shapes and connect to a variety of conductive materials and components. They are used to make wearable electronics such as smart clothing. This combines technology and textiles to fabricate clothing that is functional, stylish, and comfortable f...

Mechano-chemical Recovery of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) from Metal-Foil Supported Spent Auto Catalysts

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 14:55:53 GMT

BACKGROUND The used automobile catalytic converter is a valuable source of platinum group metals (PGMs), so it is important to have it recycled to recover precious metals as well as to meet rising industrial demand. Typically, a pyro- or hydrometallurgical method is used for the recovery of PGMs from old automobile catalytic converters. However, these methods are best suitable to recover platinum from ceramic substrate-based converters and are only partly suitable for metal substrate-based converters as they have high operating costs and low efficiency (~ 80%). All major automotive catalytic ...

Seed Orienting Device for a Row Crop Planter

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:37:10 GMT

BACKGROUND Past research has indicated that the leaf orientation in maize can increase grain yield. Leaves that are symmetrically oriented across the row increase the light interception, optimize plant populations for the environment, and increase maize grain yields. Many spatial seed placements have been evaluated for leaf orientation. It was found that a random placement of maize seeds results in a random orientation of maize leaves, lowering emergence rates. Seeds that were planted flat with the cotyledon up resulted in homogenous and faster emergence, with maize leaves being aligned acros...

A novel class of antibiotics against non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:35:56 GMT

BACKGROUND Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections are becoming an increasing public health concern, particularly for individuals with chronic lung conditions, those who are immunosuppressed, or people exposed to contaminated water sources. Unlike tuberculosis, which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, NTM includes over 190 species, many of which can lead to severe pulmonary diseases. Standard treatment options for NTM infections involve prolonged courses of antibiotics, typically lasting between 12 to 18 months. However, these treatments often exhibit limited effectiveness and hig...

CENTAURS: Center Tube-launched Airframe with tube-through-motor propulsor for Unmanned Robot Swarms

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 07:47:24 GMT

BACKGROUND Fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are Fixed-wing UAVs offer advantages such as long range, endurance, payload capacity, altitude, aerodynamic efficiency, quiet operation, and are ideal for mapping large areas, surveying, and agricultural monitoring. However, fixed wing designs face limitations related to obstructed forward visuals and bulky transport and take off. To overcome the limitations, many designs resorted to folded flat wing designs which create limitations. The common folded flat wing design like Swift Engineering’s Fortus platform and ALTIUS&rs...

Cost-Effective Auxetic Pressure Sensor with 3D Printing

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 12:07:26 GMT

BACKGROUND Pressure sensors are critical in various industries, including healthcare, automotive, robotics, and wearable devices. However, many conventional pressure-sensing systems are limited by high production costs, low sensitivity, and reliance on expensive manufacturing technologies. Existing sensor solutions often require numerous components or intricate assembly processes, increasing costs and complexity. Additionally, current 3D-printed pressure sensors frequently fail to deliver the high-resolution data required to accurately map pressure distribution—particularly in dynamic, ...

Planar Array Optimization via Evolutionary Algorithm

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 07:13:31 GMT

BACKGROUND The demand for high-performing beamforming arrays has never been more critical. These arrays play a pivotal role in applications such as telecommunications, defense, and radar systems, enabling enhanced signal clarity and precision. However, traditional designs face significant challenges: geometric constraints limit configuration flexibility, the finite number of elements restricts the array’s ability to capture spatial information accurately, and budget constraints often force compromises that further degrade performance. These issues can severely impact the effectiveness o...

3D printed concrete mixture

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 06:56:28 GMT

BACKGROUND The affordable housing shortage is a challenge for US large and small communities alike. Construction costs remain high due to inefficiencies in materials, shortage of labor, and deadline demands that threaten profit margins and company solvency. Once solution is enduring structures like Thomas Edison&aposs concrete house that reduce the need for rebuilding and shrink environmental impact. Conventional methods for vertical concrete construction using forms frequently deal with problems like material separation, varying quality, and extended timeframes, which in turn lead to inc...

Thermoacoustic Meta-Structure (TAMS)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 08:43:52 GMT

BACKGROUND The growing demand for self-sufficient systems has spurred the exploration of capturing lost residual energy. One alternative energy source is ambient acoustic energy from industrial and transportation noise pollution. Know methods include piezoelectric and electromagnetic techniques that suffer from low energy conversion efficiency and cost. To overcome these limitations, extensive research has focused on thermoacoustic devices, which operate without moving parts and are designed to harness acoustic energy for practical use. The market is seeking more affordable, lightweight...

Biodegradable nitrite transfer film

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 17:15:50 GMT

BACKGROUND Beef color is a critical factor influencing consumer purchasing decisions, particularly in the retail market, where consumers prefer a bright cherry red color. Dark-cutting beef, which results from pre-slaughter stress leading to a higher postmortem pH, deviates from this ideal color, presenting a significant challenge for the beef industry. This condition not only affects the visual appeal of raw beef but also causes a persistent undercooked appearance in cooked meat, reducing its overall acceptability. Addressing these color challenges is essential for improving the marketability...

Battery Filament for 3D Printing

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 08:18:31 GMT

BACKGROUND Innovative power solution demands increase as advancements are made in areas such as unmanned aerial systems, portable equipment, and power storage. Industry has attempted to meet the need with increasingly larger high-performance lithium-ion batteries. However, traditional batteries impose constraints on design, particularly on space usage, weight distribution, and heat dissipation. Recently, methods were developed to address these inherent shortcomings by utilizing filament battery components via 3D printing. While this approach can generate portions of batteries (i.e., positive ...

Lifespan Prolonging Probiotic

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:15:26 GMT

BACKGROUND Probiotics, which are live microorganisms known to promote gut health, have attracted significant attention for their ability to positively impact the gut microbiome. By improving digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function, these beneficial bacteria contribute to overall health. Recent studies have also suggested that probiotics may have effects beyond gut health, potentially influencing stress reduction, longevity, and general well-being. One area of promising research involves the use of Caenorhabditis elegans, a well-established model organism, to investigate the...

2023-0024 Tech Summary Application of Cellular Senescence Drugs in Cystic Fibrosis Patients with Lung Infections

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:25:10 GMT

BACKGROUND Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects approximately 100,000 individuals worldwide, causing severe health issues, particularly in the lungs. The condition is the result of mutations in the CFTR gene, which is responsible for producing a protein that regulates the movement of chloride and bicarbonate across cell membranes. When this protein is faulty, it leads to the accumulation of thick mucus in the lungs, resulting in breathing difficulties and an increased risk of severe lung infections. These infections, often caused by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aerugi...

Regulating biomass yield in sorghum and methods of use

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 18:16:26 GMT

BACKGROUND The biofuel industry is currently encountering significant challenges in addressing the increasing energy needs of the future. Sorghum, a remarkably versatile crop utilized for food, forage, fiber, and biofuels, distinguishes itself with its high biomass yield and minimal input requirements. As the leading producer and exporter of sorghum, the United States acknowledges the potential of this crop, as evidenced by its designation as a preferred bioenergy crop by the USDA and DOE. Despite improvements in bioconversion efficiency, the primary hurdle remains ensuring an adequate b...

PowerLine Unmanned Surfer (PLUS)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:02:59 GMT

BACKGROUND Demands on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are continually and rapidly evolving, obviating simple modifications to existing platforms, particularly for increasing endurance of systems. The chief constraint on endurance of UAVs is onboard power capacity; the weight and space requirements of energy storage present an anathema to UAV flight range. Previous attempts have been made to harvest energy through perching or other stationary operations on an energy source; this is driven in part because mutual inductance charging is incredibly sensitive to transmission distance. Ideas on usin...

Integrated Open-Cycle OTEC System for Electric Power, Desalination, and Air Conditioning with Enhanced Energy Storage

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 09:01:21 GMT

BACKGROUND Populations living on islands face difficulties pertaining to producing electrical power, maintaining freshwater supplies, and effectively cooling living and workspaces. Traditional methods employed to address these needs are overwhelmingly energy-intensive, translating to a high economic cost as well as environmental damage in ecosystems with a delicate balance. As populations increase and the effects of climate change intensify, the problems facing island populations are compounded, presenting a critical need for environmentally friendly yet effective strategies to provide essent...

Discovery of High Ionic Conductivity Ionic Liquids

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 12:54:54 GMT

BACKGROUND Room temperature ionic liquids are a class of salts that are liquid at room temperature consisting exclusively of ions. They are currently one of the most studied solvents because of several unique properties such as negligible volatility, electrochemical stability, low melting point, and high thermal and chemical stability; this makes them highly desirable for electrolytes in electrochemical devices. However, the low ionic conductivity of many ionic liquids at low temperatures represents a bottleneck for applications of these liquids as electrolytes in batteries. Currently, appr...

Apparatus and Methods to Assess Sub-Surface Tissue Properties

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:40:51 GMT

BACKGROUND Knowing the optical properties of a material below the layer able to be visualized via machine without contact, invasion, or destruction of the material is highly useful for quality control or monitoring purposes. Unfortunately, current technology cannot provide the ability to non-destructively identify and assess properties beneath the surface of a tissue. As a result, the default for color inspection in fields such as the meat industry relies on destructive visual inspection, an expensive and labor-intensive process. Advancing optical measurement (e.g., color) for sub-surface ana...

Multifunctional Acoustic Liner for Broadband Low-Frequency Applications

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:01:58 GMT

BACKGROUND Low-frequency (<~400 Hz) airborne noise has several detrimental effects ranging from exciting structural vibration modes (with potentially catastrophic results), reducing passenger comfort and payload integrity on commercial flights, restricting military mission capabilities, to massively contributing to noise pollution. Low-frequency noise is consistently identified as a leading cause of unmitigated community noise in areas near airports and in urban environments. However, conventional acoustic dampening technologies only mitigate noise for a narrow frequency band, which is lar...

Branched scissor linkage and associated auxetic mechanisms

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:14:52 GMT

Branched variants of the scissor mechanism but with multiple arms Multiple arms, joined by a branched rivet allows 3D movement Benefit The scissor mechanism variant allows for nearly infinite shapes and structures. The structures can be collapsed into a compact shape then deployed into a large, functional shape. One embodiment is an extendable, grasping device. Market Application Toy market. Space applications where compactness is important for lift off, but then deployment of a larger shape with structural integrity is possible. https://innovations-okstate.technologypubli...

Stigmatizing language checking program

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:20:44 GMT

BACKGROUND Person- or patient-centered language is the American Medical Association recommended style for addressing patients in research or other written settings to prevent stigmatization in clinical contexts. Using stigmatizing language in this context has been shown to present detrimental effects and is associated with poorer health outcomes. A growing corpus of research has found non-person-centered language in clinical and other academic journals is shockingly prevalent. In a foundational case, a sampling of clinical trials from 2018-2020 regarding alcohol use disorder found more than 6...

Multifunctional nanocomposites based on alignment of graphene nanoplatelets

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:56:02 GMT

BACKGROUND Graphene - a single atomic later of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice - has attracted significant interest for its exceptional properties, including ultra-lightweight structure, high modulus and strength, and large surface area to volume ratio. One promising application involves embedding graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) as nanofillers in polymer resins to form nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Traditional methods have employed electric fields to align GNPs unidirectionally within resins, improving properties primarily along a sing...

Composition and Fabrication Method for APCP Solid Rocket Propellant

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:46:44 GMT

BACKGROUND Modern rocketry is at the forefront of high-performance aerospace engineering as demands on these systems generate the need for optimized solutions to meet performance goals. For example, larger unmanned craft often employ a rocket-assisted take off (RATO) to reduce launch footprints and reduce the launch g-load to allow for a wider variety of payloads to be carried relative to other unmanned craft launching systems. However, current rocket motors present both technical and logistical shortcomings. The major technical shortcoming lies in the composition of solid rocket motors from ...

Algorithm/Software for Predicting Safe Cooking Times for Meat and Poultry

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:09:22 GMT

BACKGROUND Moisture enhancement of poultry and mechanical tenderization of meat (pork and beef) products are now common practices in North America. However, several foodborne outbreaks and recalls, related to these non-intact poultry and meat products, have been reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) since 2000. In light of these outbreaks, the United States Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) has released mandatory labeling requirements of safe cooking instructions, time, and temperature, effective by 2020 for beef products, and by 2025 for pork...

Homology-based derivation of structure-function rule for protein families

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:33:08 GMT

BACKGROUND A long-standing challenge within protein science and engineering is that different members of a protein family have functionally distinct properties. It is observable that two members of a protein family each have a property which is helpful for a specific application. For example, if one homolog can exhibit high thermal stability while another homolog has a high catalytic rate, it is industrially advantageous to be able to parse this structure-function variance within the protein family. Protein homologs often have substantially different amino acid sequences, resulting in a combi...

Turbine-Driven, Shared-Rotor Generator

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 08:01:43 GMT

BACKGROUND Rapidly evolving unmanned aircraft system (UAS) requirements have necessitated the creation of novel methods to provide power to these craft in increasingly niche environments such as high altitudes or using more available heavy fuels to existing platforms to provide power to these craft, particularly with regards to turbogenerators. However, current turbine generators for hybrid aircraft are complex, and add volume and weight to the system. Additionally, the designs often employ a singular shaft, which forces generator to spin at high rotational speeds that are ideal for the turbi...

Multi-Stage Digital Perceptron Architecture

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 09:34:03 GMT

BACKGROUND Neural networks are created using the basic building block of a perceptron, an algorithm which performs a linear combination function. Currently, perceptron implementations are done in software and are computed via application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC’s) in the most performance-intensive applications. These circuits are primarily comprised of fused multiply-add datapaths to compute the linear combination a perceptron produces as quickly as possible. However, since this is only modeled in software, they are only as parallel as the number of datapaths a given ASIC can...

Non-Contact Glucose Sensing Through Light-Wave Sensing

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 24 May 2023 08:32:52 GMT

BACKGROUND There is a significant and enduring demand for continuous and convenient monitoring of glucose in a substantial proportion of population. National diabetes statistics report for 2020 shows that 34.2 million (~10%) American have diabetes, and an estimated 26.8 million need regular monitoring of glucose level. Approximately 463 million adults are living with diabetes worldwide. Frequent glucose monitoring is required when treating or mitigating diabetic complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Although the direct enzymic measurement of serum glucose assures...

Coating, Layer, and Bulk Material for Extreme Thermal Protection

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 22 May 2023 09:03:43 GMT

BACKGROUND High-temperature applications, such as rocket engine combustion output, can reach temperatures as high as 3,315 °C (6,000 °F). Enough heat to fuse a concrete surface, like a launch pad, into glass. Fused concrete has a limited lifetime as structural integrity is compromised in some cases immediately, resulting in potentially dangerous conditions and catastrophic complications. Thermal protection has been elusive or unreasonable due to cost, method of implementation, or end performance. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at OSU have developed a material with high thermal p...

Self-Contained Floating Cover and Operating System for ASBR Digesters

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 10:32:01 GMT

BACKGROUND Anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) is a high-rate liquid digestor system that uses a bioconversion process on low-solid, high-strength wastewaters to generate biogas and treat waste. It works in four phases: feeding in of substrate (manure, wastewater, etc.), the reaction between microorganisms and substrate by mixing the contents, settling of biomass (cessation of mixing and biogas production), and decanting of effluent fluid on top of settled solids. This cycling allows for the retention of the microflora and this system is a lower-cost approach to wastewater treatment cur...

Launch Angle Tee

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 10:13:08 GMT

BACKGROUND Needless to say, a fundamental skill in the game of baseball is the ability to hit the ball. For beginners, being able to make any sort of contact with a thrown ball is sufficient. However, more skilled players not only want to be able to hit the ball but also to direct it to a particular part of the field. Some players learn this skill through trial-and-error; however, there are known techniques for so directing the ball which can be taught and learned. As might be expected, a skill this important to the play of the game has been subject to a large number of inventive efforts...

Desktop Slide Impactor (Device Used to Simulate Automotive Paint Transfer)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 10:08:16 GMT

BACKGROUND Although impact testing is extensively used in the research, development, and quality control of mechanical structures, slide impactors delivering shear impact on an external surface (i.e., “slide impact”) has not yet been developed. The lack of a commercially available device to evaluate realistic slide impacts means a narrow view of mechanical performance in various objects. This creates a dearth of knowledge in not only quality control of vehicles, utensils, and coatings, but also in several fields of research. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at OSU have develope...

Method to Produce Edible Beef Skin

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 08:29:14 GMT

BACKGROUND Culinary preparation of beef hide is common in African, Asian, and Caribbean cuisines. Despite this multi-continental popularity of beef skin consumption, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not recognize beef hide as an edible product. However, there is a demand in the United States for beef skin which cannot currently be met given the current deficit in regulations on beef-derived food products. This represents a completely untapped market which should be met in order to provide the legal and safe commercialization of a beloved food. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Re...

Power Side-Channel Attack Detection Through Battery Impedance Monitoring

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 08:21:06 GMT

BACKGROUND Embedded encryption is a critical aspect of modern computing, providing security to data. However, power side-channel attacks (P-SCAs) specifically target cryptographic implementations by analyzing physical power parameter variations of cryptographic systems during operations to glean information from the system, leveraging the embedded encryption against itself. This specific attack style poses an existential threat to the concept of encryption security as it is more difficult to detect these attacks relative to other side-channel attacks (e.g., electromagnetic or timing) and they...

An Eco-Friendly Method to Disrupt Pheromone Perception in Ostrinia nubilalis: Helping Hand to Farmers

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 08:01:20 GMT

BACKGROUND European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, is a very serious pest of grain corn, sweet corn, and other crops. O. nubilalis accounts for about 5.5 to 8.5 million tons of corn loss per year in Europe and other countries. Introduced to the United States in the 1900s, this pest accounts for 20% of yield loss in North America with damages estimated to exceed 1 billion USD annually. Unfortunately, the pesticides and insecticides used to control O. nubilalis are harmful to the environment, and the pest show resistance to them. Thus, there is an urgent need for an alternate method for pest c...

A Novel Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis Patients with Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infection

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 07:52:05 GMT

BACKGROUND Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) are a group of opportunistic bacterial pathogens, which can cause severe pulmonary infections in people with an immunocompromised condition, such as cystic fibrosis (CF). 2,990 people died primarily from NTM in the United States between 1999-2010; these data also show a significant increase in deaths across time. Additionally, these data show that people with CF are particularly at risk for this infection to be lethal. However, little is known about the mechanism that drives host susceptibility to NTM pulmonary infection in CF patients. This prese...

Multiplex-Based Assay to Characterize ADAMTS13 Properties and Function

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 07:44:12 GMT

BACKGROUND The metalloprotease ADAMTS13 regulates the platelet adhesion by von Willebrand factor (VWF) by severing large, prothrombotic VWF-Platelet aggregates. Genetic or autoimmune deficiency of ADAMTS13 impairs this regulatory mechanism causing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare fatal blood clotting disorder characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and deposition of microthrombi in small blood vessels. Assaying ADAMTS13 activity is very important in TTP diagnosis because it is the only test that confirms the presence of the disease. However, ADAM...

Modular Concrete Pavement Expansion Joint

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 07:23:32 GMT

BACKGROUND Concrete pavements, including roads, parking lots, and industrial pavements, are critical to transportation and economic function. Joints are cut into the pavements, allowing for temperature-driven contraction and expansion to prevent further damage. Unfortunately, due in part to elimination of expansion joints and the preference of low-shrinkage concrete, compression failures known as blowups, buckling, or tenting continue to occur. Traditional expansion joints have been broadly eliminated in new pavement construction due to their historically poor performance. Blowups occur in ho...

Cellular Senescence as a Biomarker for Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 17 May 2023 07:07:50 GMT

BACKGROUND Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene and affects ~30,000 people in the USA alone. Microbial lung infections are currently one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in CF patients. 2,990 people died primarily from non-tuberculosis mycobacterial infections in the United States between 1999-2010; these data also show a significant increase in deaths across time. There is a clear need to enable the early detection of CF lung disease progressions, with robust and reliable biomarkers ...

The Development of a Novel Synthesis and Structure of Trifluoro-THC

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 15 May 2023 13:57:39 GMT

BACKGROUND The endocannabinoid system is part of both the central and peripheral nervous systems, playing roles in physiological, cognitive, and immune functions. Research over the past three decades has helped parse receptor pathways and shown that cannabinoid compounds like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have potential as pharmaceutical structures. However, THC’s status as a natural product does limit its commercial viability as it cannot be patented. This represents a roadblock to THC-based drug discovery and development, despite research suggesting its potential usage in pharmaceu...

Efforts Towards Synthetic Photosynthesis; Visible Light Driven CO2 Valorization

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 15 May 2023 06:57:45 GMT

BACKGROUND Carbamate esters, also known as urethanes, are a key functional group in myriad medicinal and agricultural compounds, broadly functioning as hydrolytically and proteolytically stable peptide mimetics. Their end products such as antibiotics, cancer treatments, pesticides, and derived polyurethane materials bear markets valued well over 20 billion USD annually. Current means of production rely on either carbon monoxide (CO) or, to a far lesser extent, carbon dioxide (CO2) as its carbonyl C1 source. However, methods employing CO rely on burning fossil fuels and create toxic and cumber...

A Stochastic 3D Pore-Scale Simulation Method to Predict Permeability of Carbonate Rocks from Pore Size Distribution Data

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 08:27:02 GMT

BACKGROUND Accurately predicting the permeability of rocks is critical for developing and managing fossil fuel and water resources. Traditional approaches to permeability prediction involves using deterministic model equations and petrophysical data such as porosity and pore size distribution, gathered from mercury injection capillary pressure measurements (MICP). While these techniques work well with siliciclastic rocks, they typically fail when employed in carbonate rocks. This is due to the complex heterogenous pore microstructures which can vary up to five orders of magnitude, makin...

Artificial Intelligence Enabled Software for Mechanical Characterizations of Thin, Soft, Heterogeneous Bio-Tissues

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 14:12:15 GMT

BACKGROUND Heterogeneous membranes or films are thin and soft structures with spatial variations in material property and thickness. Important heterogeneous membranes include bio tissues such as heart valves, eardrum membranes, skin, as well as artificial synthesized bio-compatible tissues, non-woven materials. Mechanical behavior of heterogeneous membranes is not well understood, mainly due to the difficulty in obtaining accurate and reliable material property data. Currently, the approach to obtaining mechanical properties of heterogenous soft membrane local areas relies on time-consuming a...

Software for Real-Time Monitoring and Fault Detection of Chemical Distillation Process

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:45:59 GMT

BACKGROUND In recent decades, the chemical, refining, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical process industries have actively adopted distributed control systems (DCSs) to digitally monitor and control their plant operations. These commercial DCSs can provide process monitoring, control, and limited alarm management capabilities. In particular, the built-in alarm management systems require extensive expert knowledge to create an exhaustive alarm list and triggering values for each process parameter being monitored. As a result, most plants are either unequipped with any online and au...

Building Code Calculator App

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 07:42:43 GMT

BACKGROUND Building codes primarily function as standards to ensure safety and wellbeing of the occupants within and around structures, and are required knowledge for most building design profession licenses or registrations. However, as buildings become more complex and known hazards and approaches change, building codes do as well, resulting in a shifting body of regulatory policy. This can create difficulty performing calculations when designing or planning buildings and interior spaces. Additionally, codes are typically organized in a verbal format which makes navigation difficult for man...

Adaptive Pore Size Smart Material

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 10:09:28 GMT

BACKGROUND Prosthetic limbs are typically mounted to the remnant limb via a sleeve, which are made from a variety of materials, but mostly from silicone elastomers. Unfortunately, these sleeves heat up the limb remnant and can lose grip as the temperature increases and sweating occurs. This problem is addressed via two approaches: medical treatments and breathable sleeves. Medical treatments involve therapies such as botulinum toxin injections, attempting to stop the limb remnant from sweating at all; this is incredibly expensive with mixed results and is not typically covered by health insur...

Rotary Wing Aircraft Prototype with Gimbal Mount and Coaxial Motor

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 13:54:13 GMT

BACKGROUND Coaxial motor-powered designs need not be restricted to variable pitch rotors. The cyclic/collective pitch mixing system commonly employee three independent actuators to control the swashplate which can be an improvement on the separate systems found in large aircraft. However, variable pitch flight control systems create mechanical complexity and added weight both of which have detrimental effects on performance and longevity of UAVs. Focusing on a simplification of prop design and weight reduction improvements can be made in propulsion and flight control. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY ...

All Terrain Land and Air Sphere (ATLAS)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 13:00:28 GMT

BACKGROUND Demands on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) continuously evolve giving rise to design platforms with novel functionality. More and more UAS are asked to enter and navigate dangerous situations and damages structures to protect the lives first responders, researchers, and soldiers while aiding their mission. Some craft can land and roll on a surface navigating tight areas by actuating the flaps located at its base coupled with the thrust generated from the props. However, current implementations merely re-orientate the vehicle so the props are positioned properly for take-off but...

Measuring workability of slip form concrete using vibrator and accelerometer

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 15:01:28 GMT

BACKGROUND When mixing concrete, vibration helps to consolidate fresh cementitious mix by reducing the volume of voids, air pockets, and entrapped air, increasing density and strength of the resultant material. However, vibrational consolidation can be overdone, pushing out needed water from the mix. Currently, monitoring concrete to ensure proper vibration application, feed, and materials are carried out by skilled operators. However, this has variability associated with individual operators, resulting in inconsistencies that can set back timeline and increase costs. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY ...

Variable-Cycle Gas Turbine Engine for Small Unmanned Aircraft

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 07:53:43 GMT

BACKGROUND Continually and rapidly evolving unmanned aircraft system (UAS) requirements for commercial applications and military strategic and tactical battlefield have obviated simple modifications to existing platforms. However, new requirements demand increased performance in terms of longer range and endurance, faster flight speeds, increased payload capacity, reduced noise emissions, and a smaller launch and recovery footprint. Thus, there is a critical need to develop advanced variable cycle engine and aircraft technologies that are versatile and scalable. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Resear...

Optimization for reduction of critical path in high throughput AES cores

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 09:39:13 GMT

BACKGROUND Advanced Encryption Standard or AES is designed to encrypt and decrypt data using the same key. Given a segment of data, AES will use a key to encrypt the data in a way that is reversible only if the same key is given to the decryption algorithm. AES is widely adopted and standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and provides secure point-to-point communication for a wide range of devices such as Wireless Routers, Chip to Memory Communication, Storage Encryption, and many more. This type of encryption is referred to as “Symmetric” Encryption, a ...

Biologically Inspired Underwater Propulsion Technology Using Coordinated Rowing of Multiple Propulsive Elements

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 09:00:54 GMT

BACKGROUND Numerous species of aquatic animals, ranging in size from several microns to a meter, swim underwater via coordinated, rhythmic paddling of multiple, closely spaced appendages. Studies have shown that natural coordinated appendage motion is realized by delaying the temporal and/or spatial paddling of one appendage relative to its neighbor. Long-tailed crustaceans such as krill, shrimp, and lobsters paddle their swimming limbs sequentially posterior (rear) to anterior (front). This coordinated movement of multiple, closely spaced appendages results in a metachronal wave propag...

Zeolite-Coated Mesh for Oil-Water Separation

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 09:36:04 GMT

BACKGROUND Daily water demand and the increasing amount of industrial oily water discharge have become a worldwide problem. The presence of oil in water not only influences the surroundings but also damages the self-cleaning circulation of the ecological system at the time of recycling produced water. In the past few decades, polymeric membranes have been emerging, giving a good performance of oil rejection. However, commercially available polymeric membranes are subject to fouling, which can damage the membrane directly, or indirectly through the cleaning chemicals used to reverse the foulin...

Si-based UV photodetector using an efficient UV-to-visible down-conversion layer

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 15:50:39 GMT

BACKGROUND Ultra-violet (UV) photodetectors have broad applications in many areas such as scintillator light detection, time correlated photo-detection, ultra-fast fluorescent microscopy detection, and ultra-dense spatial imaging. While Si-based photodiodes are fully commercialized with a variety of applications even including single-photon avalanche photodiodes (SPADs) which offer low dark count rates, high detection efficiencies and high-count rates in the visible to near-infrared range. In the UV range, however, the penetration depth of UV light in Si is typically only a few nanometers and...

Mie-resonator Solar Thermal Absorbers

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 07:46:24 GMT

BACKGROUND Harnessing solar energy as a replacement for fossil fuels is an important avenue in addressing climate change. An exemplar issue facing the utility and scalability of this energy source is solar-to-heat conversion efficiency in photothermal layers. More specifically, both reflectance/transmission heat loss and convection/radiation heat transfer losses need to be minimized. However, these losses are determined by the temperature gradient in the photothermal layer material and its thickness, respectively. I.e., minimizing thickness minimizes thermal resistance, but will compromise ab...

Multi-Axis 3D Printer

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 15:17:57 GMT

BACKGROUND 3D printing enables on-demand manufacturing of complex designs for various applications in different industries. The layer-by-layer construction of parts in 3D printing can provide opportunities to customize products' properties for specific service conditions. The individualized processing of each layer has opened new horizons for 3D printing of multifunctional materials and structures. However, the axis limitation of available printers requires individualized processing of each layer when reduction manufacturing has been taking advantage of multi-axis and multi-ma...

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) Subtype 2b Grown in Bovine Monolayer Cell Cultures as Cytopathic (CP) Strains for Vaccine Production, Diagnostic Testing, and Serology

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 07:30:21 GMT

BACKGROUND BVDV is the most costly disease in the cattle industry, estimated at around 2 billion per year. Often without visible symptoms, this disease inhibits conception, causes spontaneous abortion and birth defects, and hinders the immune system. BVDVb1 is the predominant source of persistently infected (PI) cattle, and there is a growing prevalence of BVD2b. Unfortunately, few vaccines exists that adequately protect against BVDV1b, and current practice does not vaccinate for type 2b. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Oklahoma State University has isolated cytopathic BVDV subtype 1b and 2b strains ...

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) Subtypes 1a, 1b, AND 2a Grown in Bovine Monolayer Cell Cultures as Cytopathic (CP) Strains for Vaccine Production, Diagnostic Testing, and Serology

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 07:30:07 GMT

Photobiodegradable Plastics via PPDvSOP improvement

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 14:28:40 GMT

BACKGROUND At first plastics were welcome as blessings. Specifically, their durability, high strength per weight and low cost have made them the ideal packaging materials. However, the last seven decades have proved, those same attributes combined with improper waste management, led to a plastic pollution problem. An estimated 6300 million metric tons (Mt) of plastics were generated from 1950 to 2015, of which only 9% was recycled and 12% incinerated. The remaining 79% was disposed to the landfills or environment, an important portion of which has been defragmented to micro/nanoplastics. ...

Development of Well-Defined Artificial Eumelanin

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 06:24:39 GMT

BACKGROUND Melanin is a naturally occurring pigment found in many organisms. Eumelanin is the black-brown variety of melanin which is responsible for dark colored eyes, hair, and skin. It acts as a natural photoprotector from the harmful radiation from the sun. Eumelanin is resistant to damage caused by high temperature, chemical stresses, reactive oxygen species, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, gamma rays, and alpha and beta particles. Therefore, the pigment is extremely fade resistant and impervious to water and environmental exposure. Natural and current synthesized eumelanin are extre...

Method for Computer-Assisted Medical Billing Using Natural Language Processing Techniques

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:33:28 GMT

BACKGROUND Medical billing is critical to the revenue cycle management of healthcare providers; accurate and efficient billing is crucial to reimbursing healthcare providers for their services. However, current systems depend on human coders parsing through clinical summaries and notes to list treatments for billing and insurance reimbursement. Unfortunately, this is a time-consuming process prone to errors, further complicating medical billing. Existing computer-assisted systems are simple broad human-computer interactions that do not address the root problem of the complex nature of he...

Selective Liquid Transport Surface for Sample Separation and Analysis

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:30:34 GMT

BACKGROUND Miniature, cost-effective devices for sample separation have long been desired for medical diagnostics as well as analysis in areas such as process control and environmental monitoring. Traditional sample separation methods such as centrifugation, solvent extraction, and liquid-liquid phase separation require complex instrumentation and processing. These techniques are also costly and oftentimes require a dedicated lab, resulting in access difficulties for rural areas and developing nations. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at OSU have developed a novel method to separate l...

Engineering Agrobacterium tumefaciens to Deliver Proteins that Improve Plant Transformation

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:27:13 GMT

BACKGROUND Agrobacteria (Agrobacterium sp.) are plant pathogens that have been used as “natural genetic engineers” for the past 40 years, enabling the creation of transgenic plant lines and the overall transformation of agricultural and horticultural techniques. However, a major drawback of Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation is the recalcitrance of many plant species due to host defense responses. The approaches thus far to overcome this hurdle have been focused on changes made to the plant itself, including creating transgenic plants expressing bacterial effector pr...

Pyocin-inducing Anti-Pseudomonas Combination Treatment

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:24:53 GMT

BACKGROUND Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a serious worldwide health problem, presenting the risks of increased infection and uncontrolled transmission. Unfortunately, established antibiotic treatments can be ineffective against resistant bacterial strains, consequentially increasing mortality rates, healthcare expenditures, and hospital resources. Caused by Pseudomonas species, multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa infection has increased prevalence in immunocompromised, diabetic, and ventilated patients. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that (pre-pandemic) over 6,000 ...

Protein Disulfide Isomerase as a Novel Treatment for Diabetic Patients

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:23:20 GMT

BACKGROUND Diabetes is an epidemic disease, affecting over 350 million people worldwide, with as many as one in three American adults being afflicted with it by 2050 if current trends continue. It is defined by a sustained state of hyperglycemia, resulting from decreased glucose uptake into insulin-sensitive tissues (i.e., striated muscle and adipose tissue) due to either a lack of insulin production (type 1 diabetes) or insulin action (type 2 diabetes). While there are treatments for diabetes, the climbing case numbers and reliance on insulin dependent pathways reveal a critical need fo...

Disposable Coaxial Needles for 3D Printing Hollow Capillaries

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:16:59 GMT

BACKGROUND Many tissues in the body have microcapillaries of various sizes (<0.1 mm) to ensure the transport of nutrients and metabolic wastes. These capillaries are surrounded by various types of cells that collectively provide the necessary function. Advances in 3D printing techniques, have sparked a significant interest in adapting the technology for developing tissues, particularly liver tissue. Although there are a variety of printers and biomaterials, printing microcapillaries matching that in the tissue is not possible. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at OSU have developed...

Novel Method for Enhancing RSV Vaccine Efficacy/Safety by Combining Live-Attenuated Virus and VLPs

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:06:45 GMT

BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the single largest cause of viral pediatric bronchiolitis and pneumonia in the world; in 2015, 33.1 million RSV associated acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children resulted in 3.2 million hospitalizations and 59,600 deaths globally. Pursuit of a vaccine for this disease has been ongoing since the 1960s, but none have been successfully developed. A live vaccine candidate called M-null has a stringent safety profile and protects from RSB replication on ice. However, this has the drawback of inducing both pre-F and post-F antibodies; hig...

Wound Bio-Adhesive

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:52:19 GMT

BACKGROUND Bleeding is responsible for 30–40% of deaths in the initial hours after injury. Hemostasis, or the formation of stable blood clots, after a severe injury is necessary to prevent major blood loss and death from hemorrhagic shock. Also, providing a closure that seals the wound completely accelerates the healing process. For these two aims, different methods and different types of healing systems have been introduced. One of the most innovative ways for healing of acute wounds is using bio-adhesives. Bio-adhesives are biocompatible, hemostatic materials that can help with b...

Low-Cost Ventilator with Computer Interface, Sensors and Controls

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:44:53 GMT

BACKGROUND Ventilators are an indispensable piece of medical technology which move breathable into and out of a patient’s lungs. Several medical conditions employ the use of ventilators, such as intensive care units, surgery using general anesthesia, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, etc. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically increased the demand for ventilators in hospitals. However, the current rate of ventilator production and its cost are both problematic for getting units built and the cost of those units (on average, ~$40,000). Although COVID-19 induced demand fo...

Hybrid Long Bone Repair Device

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:26:24 GMT

BACKGROUND Long bone segmental defects occur when a long bone has bone loss in length of greater than 1.5 times the diameter of the bone, or longer than one-fifth the long bone length. The treatment of these serious bone defects (e.g., osteomyelitis) or injuries rely on complex orthopedic surgical procedures, with the field standards being distracted osteogenesis using the Ilizarov technique and vascularized bone grafting. These approaches, while successful, still have serious drawbacks. These are the long healing time and the need for multiple surgeries, which can present additional ris...

Tip Irrigated Bone Drill and Bit

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:23:29 GMT

BACKGROUND Modern surgical techniques oftentimes employ the use of specialized drills and bits to create holes in bone for the attachment of various devices such as pins or bolts for bone plates. In order to prevent thermal bone damage induced from drill friction, saline solution is dripped onto the surface of the bone. However, this only serves to cool a very shallow depth of the bone, resulting in damage still being done deeper in the osseus tissue. There is a need for improved cooling in bone drills for surgical procedures. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at OSU have conceived of ...

Estrogen Receptor Linked Epithelial Cell Innate Immune Regulatory Molecules Eradicate Invasive Infections

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:18:06 GMT

BACKGROUND Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most frequent bacterial infections affecting both male and female populations. However, women are more susceptible to UTIs 50%-60% acquire one in their lifetime. 25% of women acquire recurrent UTIs shortly after the first infection, which can lead to kidney failure. Pregnant or postmenopausal women are more prone to experience these, indicating the hormonal etiology of UTI pathogenesis. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of vaginal estrogen suppositories for postmenopausal UTI patients, but these...

Graphical User Interphase (GUI) Bioinformatic tool for the rapid detection of plant pathogens in next generation sequencing data - MiFi (R)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:12:28 GMT

BACKGROUND Pathogen detection has always been a challenge in diagnostics. Current techniques like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or bacterial/viral culture are reliable but carry some pitfalls. Primarily, PCR techniques are unable to detect more than five targets, and culturing methods are incredibly time consuming. Recently, metagenomic sequencing approaches where the entire genomic content of a sample is sequenced and tested have been proposed as solutions to pathogen testing, enabling testing for any number of pathogens. However, there is a lack of tools to implement this solution to the ...

Microbe Finder MiFi (R) Accurate Detection of Pathogens in Plants & Animal Samples Using Next Gen Sequencing

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:10:25 GMT

Clinical Decision Algorithm for Detecting Diabetic Retinopathy in Rural Markets

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:05:49 GMT

BACKGROUND Diabetes, one of the most serious and fast-growing chronic health conditions, often leads to other serious complications such as neurological, renal, ophthalmic, and heart diseases. Research has shown that more than 85% of diabetic patients develop at least one of these complications. Unfortunately, patients in rural markets are less likely to undergo preventative screenings, particularly for diabetic retinopathy (requiring a dilated pupil eye examination). Therefore, studying co-morbidities among diabetic patients using association analysis is a worthy research endeavor. Howe...

Melanin-Inspired Antifungal Agents

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:02:39 GMT

BACKGROUND Microbial contamination of hydrocarbon fuels is a serious problem that can lead to costly and dangerous operational problems in fuel storage and engine systems. Bacteria and fungi can cause deterioration of fuels through several mechanisms, including an accumulation of biomass, degradation of protective additives, and production of corrosive metabolic byproduct. Travel stops and fueling stations have experienced costs in the hundreds of millions due to microbial contaminants in diesel since the recent changes in fuel composition, introduction of biodiesel mixtures, reduction o...

A Novel Class of Therapeutic Peptides

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:56:54 GMT

BACKGROUND Protein misfolding is thought to be the cause of many degenerative and neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cystic fibrosis. Oftentimes the result of this misfolding is aggregations of misfolded proteins. There are some therapies to try and treat misfolded proteins or aggregates, but they heavily depend on unfolding the misfolded proteins to allow the proteins to refold themselves properly. This relies on the assumption that proper folding will be the most thermodynamically favored and will not result in any m...

Methods and Systems for Point-of-Care Biomarker Detection in Solid Organ

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:54:43 GMT

BACKGROUND Among the myriad of conditions needing to be assessed for a donor liver quality, fibrosis of Ishak stage 2 or higher will automatically reject the liver. Currently, the only method for assessing fibrosis (when available) is to employ pathohistological analysis of a liver biopsy, a necessarily destructive approach that can be affected by freezing artifacts, rendering incorrect results. Paraffin imbedded histology works better, but takes too long for results to be measured for the organ to remain viable. Between the time constraints of donor identification, rising need for organ...

Inhibitors of Protein-Protein Interactions to Disrupt Bacterial Iron Homeostasis

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:49:23 GMT

BACKGROUND The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, and a marked decrease in the development of new antibiotics threaten to severely undermine many of the advances in modern medicine. Most antibiotics target a limited number of crucial biological processes, including DNA replication, protein translation, and cell wall biosynthesis. Thus, there is an urgent need to discover and validate novel biological targets in bacteria. In this context: iron is essential for bacteria due to its involvement in multiple metabolic processes. Pathogenic bacteria must obtain iron from the host, but ...

Development of Novel Biocatalytic Conversion Process for Production of Alcohols, Ketones and Organic Acids

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:40:44 GMT

BACKGROUND As energy demand increases, efficiently produced biofuels such as ethanol will be preferred over fossil fuels due to their reduced costs. One such biofuel, butanol, has several technical advantages over ethanol including a higher energy density. Butanol is traditionally produced using molasses and starch in the acetone-butanol-ethanol (A-B-E) fermentation process. Recently, A-B-E fermentation has been derived from lignocellulosic biomass but suffers the drawbacks of low yield, low productivity, and inhibition by butanol. Unfortunately, the yield of butanol from biomass is poor be...

Devices and methods of tissue visualization for use in laparoscopic, robot-assisted laparoscopic and open procedure

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:18:49 GMT

BACKGROUND Modern surgical procedures such as laparoscopic and robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery have the advantages of reduced incision size, less pain, and lower chance of contamination, resulting in countless lives being saved with fewer complications. However, these techniques create greater difficulty for the surgical team by creating poor depth perception and difficulties visualizing the edges and surfaces of tissues. This causes complications when identifying and removing tissues such as tumors, an application which needs to have a high degree of accuracy. There is a clear need ...

Use of Control Charts in Automatic Detection of Sleep/Health Disorders

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 12:59:33 GMT

BACKGROUND Sleep health is an incredibly important area of healthcare with the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) market being estimated at almost 100 million dollars in 2017. Polysomnography (sleep study) is employed to diagnose OSA and other sleep-related disorders, but the data it collects is subject to noise. Improvement on analysis of automated data collection could be useful for enhance detection of sleep disorders as well as other health problems. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY Researchers at OSU and Northern Kentucky University have developed a novel method of automatically detecting abnorm...

Digital Twin System for Human Pulmonary Healthcare

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 11:45:24 GMT

BACKGROUND Pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third-leading cause of death globally in 2019. While there is no cure for COPD, treatments are available and are constantly being developed. Numerical modelling of pulmonary air-particle dynamics is a crucial tool for assessing drug distribution efficacy in lungs and designing medical devices. However, current static lung models for transport dynamics of particles in the pulmonary pathway do not take airway deformation into account, significantly limiting the modelling capability under disease-spec...

Nanowire-Nanoparticle Conjugate Photolytic Fuel Generators

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 06:36:15 GMT

Background Conversion of sunlight to chemical fuels by artificial photosynthesis has been a long-sought goal. In particular, significant research activity was stimulated towards photolytic cells producing hydrogen in 1972, when Fujishima and Honda demonstrated water could split to hydrogen and oxygen under sunlight (photolysis) using an n-type TiO2 electrode. Although nanostructured TiO2 photolytic cells exploiting high surface to volume have recently been demonstrated, unfortunately TiO2 can absorb only the ultraviolet portion of the sunlight due to its large band gap. Numerous efforts to in...

A Method for Dissolved Gas Separation

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 15:04:09 GMT

BACKGROUND Liberation of gases from liquids is of primary importance to numerous natural and industrial processes such as boiling, cloud formation, volcanic eruption, food and beverage production, biological, mineral, nuclear, pharmaceutical, electrochemical, and petroleum production and refining. Natural gas evolution in saturated oil reservoirs and gas separation in wellbores and surface facilities are some examples of gas liberation from supersaturated liquids in the petroleum industry. Properly controlling the separation of gases in these settings represents a significant material cost. G...

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Modified Membrane Systems for Desalination

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:34:14 GMT

BACKGROUND Only a few studies were reported on the ALD modified inorganic membranes for desalination. Alam et al. grew TiO2 ALD on polyethersulphone (PES) membrane. It was shown that the TiO2-film deposited PES membrane exhibited >90% NaCl rejection (4 times higher than uncoated membranes) in a pressurized desalination at feed pressure of 8 atm and room temperature. However, deposition of TiO2 resulted in marginal decrease in water flux from 60 to 47 L m-2 h-1 because of pore size reduction caused by nanolayer deposition. Song et al. used molecular layer deposition (MLD) as a novel and hig...

RSV-Based Virus-Like Particles as Vaccines

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:07:11 GMT

BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the single largest cause of viral pediatric bronchiolitis and pneumonia in the world; in 2015, 33.1 million RSV associated acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children resulted in 3.2 million hospitalizations and 59,600 deaths globally. This disease is also dangerous to people over 65 with 1.5 million RSV-ARI resulted in 336,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths globally. Pursuit of a vaccine for this disease has been ongoing since the 1960s, but none have been developed. There is a critical need for a vaccine to provide protection again...

Incorporation of the Horseradish Peroxidase Gene in a Viral Genome Provides a Rapid and Cost-effective in vitro Method to Determine the Antiviral Potential of Antibodies or Drugs

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:04:12 GMT

BACKGROUND In-vitro virus neutralization assays are an important step in determining potential in-vivo efficacy of vaccines or (synthetic) anti-viral antibodies. Most recent micro-neutralization assays are based on luciferase or fluorescence read-outs. Viruses of interest are modified by inserting genes encoding luciferase or fluorescent proteins. Following incubation of these modified viruses with antibodies of interest, virus-antibody complexes are then incubated on cells, and the success of neutralization is determined by the level of luminescence or fluorescence. Such assays are sensitive...

Novel solution for "produced water" disposal

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 10:59:33 GMT

BACKGROUND Water is used to extract oil and gas through hydraulic fracturing. This results in large quantities of Produced Water that needs to be dealt with. Produced water has considerable management costs that could adversely affect the life of the well. Produced water handling practices must also be environmentally sound or the operator could face regulatory action. Disposal of water in an injection well has met with resistance from the local, state and federal levels. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY The key aspect of this invention is the use of produced water to form a solid geopoly...

Methods for Generation of Fracture Density Maps from Seismic Data

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 09:43:03 GMT

BACKGROUND Fractures, pre-existing planes of weaknesses in rock units, play a critical role in determining the production potential of reservoirs that are developed through lateral/horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). Knowledge of fracture orientation and/or extent is key to production in formations. Rock fractures contribute to porosity and, if they are open, have the potential to contribute substantially to the permeability of a formation. Permeability in producing formations is necessary and highly desirable as it provides a pathway for oil to be pus...

Door Traffic Counter System

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 31 May 2022 07:16:56 GMT

Mechanism for library employees to easily count / track people entering and exiting the library building for manual entry. There are two types of roles user and administrator. Benefit Door Traffic Counter System is a web application providing a mechanism for library employees to easily count / track the number of users entering and exiting the library building. The application also allows for real‐time display of capacity information. Other Available at: https://github.com/okstate-library/door-traffic-counter License: © 2020 Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and...

Metabolites of SHetA2 as Anti-Cancer Agents

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:06:36 GMT

BACKGROUND SHetA2 has previously been identified by OSU researchers as a strong anti-cancer agent that induces apoptosis (cell death) in 8 different types of kidney cancer cells and is being developed for treatment of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). SHetA2 is in the final stages of preclinical testing and since no toxicity to normal cells has been observed by National Cancer Institute (NCI) in trials with mice, rats, and dogs, clinical trials will begin on human patients in the near future. SUMMARY OSU researchers have identified and synthesized a major metabolite (active molecule) of SHet...

Engineered Respiratory Syncytial Viruses with Control of Cell-to-Cell Virus Transmission for Enhanced Safety of Live Virus Vaccines

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:06:20 GMT

BACKGROUND Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the largest viral cause of pediatric bronchiolitis worldwide, a respiratory disease that results in over 100,000 deaths per year. RSV can also cause adult lung diseases such as pneumonia and poses a serious risk for the elderly and the immunocompromised. Unfortunately, a vaccine for RSV is not currently available. Although, live-attenuated (weakened) RSV virus offers the most promise for a future vaccine, previous and current efforts have failed to produce a vaccine that is both effective and safe to use without the risk of sev...

Combining site-directed mutations and reconstitution with a locked chromophore analog converts photoactive yellow protein into a highly fluorescent protein tag

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:06:11 GMT

BACKGROUND Fluorescent protein tags, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP), exhibit fluorescence when viewed under ultraviolet light. Since these tags make it possible to 'see' metabolic interactions, attaching them to proteins, antibodies, and amino acids allows researchers to study interactions between biomolecules and thus improve our understanding of such diverse biological processes as those involved in brain functionality, specific protein-protein interactions, and the spread of disease. Although GFP is responsible for many advances in modern research and remains in use today,...

Lightweight Green Roof Media

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:05:46 GMT

Abstract This cost-effective new soil media consists of a nutrient-rich composition that weighs 50% less than typical green roof soil media on the market. The lightweight nature of this soil media allows buildings to be retrofitted to support green roofs without negatively affecting the existing infrastructure. Additionally, the soil mixture is so fertile that it can be used as potting soil and in nurseries as well. Less expensive than conventional green roof soil media Weighs 50% less than conventional soil media Can be retrofitted onto existing buildings This cost-effect...

Method and component of a novel antiviral targeting type 1 interferon response

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:04:54 GMT

BACKGROUND Influenza virus infection results in 200,000 hospitalizations, 36,000 deaths, and $87 billion in healthcare costs per year in the U.S. The current treatments, which consist of antiviral drugs that target viral proteins, only work if new strains of influenza virus do not emerge. However, influenza viral proteins readily mutate to create new, drug resistant viruses--rendering antiviral drugs useless. Thus, there is a critical need to develop improved anti-influenza medicines that are effective regardless of virus changes and mutations. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU researchers discover...

Method and Device of Identifying and Evaluating Neurovascular Structure

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:04:45 GMT

BACKGROUND A radical prostatectomy is an operation to remove the prostate gland and some of the tissue around it. The cavernous nerves, which are responsible for erection and are a part of the prostatic neurovascular bundle (NVB), travel very close to the prostate gland and, because the nerves are difficult to identify visually and current locating devices are inadequate, may be injured during the prostatectomy. Injury of the NVB is found in over half of prostatectomy patients experiencing erectile dysfunction 18 or more months after surgery. Therefore, identifying and avoiding damage to the ...

Method for fabrication of high dispersion polymer nanocomposites

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:04:28 GMT

BACKGROUND Polymers, molecules composed of repeated subunits, are the building blocks for many materials including synthetic plastics, rubber, and nylon. Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) are polymers with nanofillers (nanoparticles) dispersed throughout the polymer's matrix. Addition of the nanofillers greatly improves the physical properties of the polymer such as strength, stiffness, dimensional stability, wear resistance, fire retardance, and conductivity. Unfortunately if the nanofillers are not dispersed evenly throughout the thermoplastic these physical benefits are substantially dimin...

Moldable Wood

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:04:16 GMT

BACKGROUND Advances in wood-plastic-composites (WPC) have permitted the utilization of wood in additional applications such as automotive components, household electronics, and environmentally resistant building products. By combining the mechanical strength of wood with the durability and resistance of plastics, WPC has several distinct characteristics that make it environmentally friendly while requiring little maintenance. Strides in this field have been made in its moldability, maintenance, and resistance. However, there is still a need for WPC to display strength, stiffness, and rigidity...

Antimicrobial, thermally and visible light stable silver (I) cyanoximates that inhibit biofilm formation

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:04:08 GMT

BACKGROUND Hospital-acquired infections are becoming more prevalent worldwide. According to the CDC, 1.7 million patients in the US acquire infections during their hospital stay, which costs $6.7 billion dollars annually. Fifty-four percent of hospital-acquired infections occur at surgical sites or in urinary tracts, and are increasingly caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria. Incorporating long lasting broad-spectrum antibacterial agents into the polymeric matrix for fixing indwelling medical devices has the potential to greatly reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections. SUMMARY OF...

Isolation of Bioactive Compounds from Tremella spp.

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:03:49 GMT

BACKGROUND Since the beginning of the 21st century, fungi have been known for their extraordinary medicinal qualities. Tremella spp. is a yeast-like fungus that has been conventional utilized for pharmaceuticals and is still being explored for additional medicinal properties. Of particular interest are its extracellular polysaccharides (exopolysaccharides) which have been associated with the enhancement of the immune system in humans. Though improvements have been made in the growing process of Tremella, researchers are actively working to optimize processes for growing, producing, and isolat...

Textile repurposing and sustainable garment design

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:03:19 GMT

BACKGROUND Occupying nearly 5% of all landfill space, textile waste (e.g., clothing, footwear, accessories, carpets, towels, bedding, drapery) has continued to make a negative impact on our environment. A variety of textile recycling methods have been developed that convert discarded textile fibers into raw materials (e.g., yarn, fibers, polymer chips). Current processes to recycle textiles, such as those employed by Giotex, are time consuming and burden the environment by employing energy intensive processes. Another approach has been given to sustainable garment design and production to red...

Methods for Detecting Biofilm In-Situ from Seismic Data

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:03:08 GMT

BACKGROUND Formation of biofilms is a predominant way of life for most microorganisms in the environment. Biofilms comprise extracellular polysaccharides (EPS), which is a gel type material playing a vital role in attachment of microbial cells to growth surfaces. Biofilms are quintessential byproducts of hydrocarbon degradation. Thus, their detection could be critical in assessing environmental remediation, carbon sequestration, and enhanced oil recovery. However, in-situ detection of biofilms in field conditions has remained an unresolved problem. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU researchers have...

Geospatial Logistics and Agricultural Decision Integration System (GLADIS)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:02:46 GMT

BACKGROUND Eastern Redcedar is an invasive tree that is economically and ecologically damaging to the state of Oklahoma. For this raw material, and others like it, there is limited entrepreneurial interest for the utilization of this natural resource. This is often due to the lack of data regarding the true cost of the processes required for successful utilization. Thus, it would prove beneficial if there was a way to determine which industries could be implemented to derive maximum economic profit from these materials. By providing a platform to evaluate the worth of these untapped resources...

Cofactor-free, Inexpensive, Rapid Liver Microsomal Bioreactor for Examining Drug Metabolism and Inhibition and Green Synthesis of Drug Metabolites

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:02:36 GMT

BACKGROUND Liver microsomes (LMs) are useful for biosensing, catalytic applications and drug development because of their ability to catalyze a broad range of reactions with inherent stereoselectivity. Using traditional LMs, expensive cofactors, such as NADPH must be added to facilitate metabolic reactions. Previous researchers have demonstrated that electrocatalysis can replace the need for adding NADPH in LMs. However, achieving highly enhanced electrocatalytic metabolite production from a simple adsorption of LM directly onto a structure with sufficient electrocatalytic stability and reusa...

Novel Cleaning-In-Place Meat Grinder Sanitization Process

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:02:28 GMT

BACKGROUND An estimated 60% of all retail beef sales are in the form of ground beef, which is notoriously associated with foodborne pathogen outbreaks. There are existing protocols and control points in meat processing or retail operations, which specify the frequency and proper procedures for grinder sanitization. Current industry protocol is to dissemble and then clean meat grinders at the end of a shift. However, if contamination occurs between two cleaning operations, large amounts of product could be contaminated and subject to recall. An increase in the frequency...

Engineering Mesenchymal Stem Cells for COPD Therapy

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:01:29 GMT

BACKGROUND The discovery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have resulted in a plethora of opportunities to produce tissue-specific cell types for disease modeling, drug screening and treatments for diseases. For pulmonary diseases such as COPD, stem cells have been a proposed strategy to repair damaged lungs. However, these studies have yielded controversial results. Additional research has demonstrated that transplantation of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) hold great promise to repair damaged lungs for pulmonary diseases, including COPD. However, t...

Engineering Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for COPD Therapy

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:01:07 GMT

Preparation of Conductive Organic Threads as Non-metallic Interconnects

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:00:42 GMT

Abstract The preparation of organic conductive threads comprised of highly conjugated polymer/carbon nanotube nanocomposites on a fiber thread like cotton, wool, etc, for electrical interconnects in smart clothing for enhanced reusability and comfort. The organic conductive fiber/thread is unique in that it opens the door for all textile-based devices and sensors that can be knitted into garments due to their improved electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and preserved features of cotton thread-washable, comfortable, biocompatible and cost effective. Benefit Conductive threads are...

Process for Making Silicon-based Anode for Li-Ion Battery

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 15:00:04 GMT

Abstract Conventional Li-ion batteries use graphite anodes, which have a theoretical specific capacity of 372 mAh/g, which limits their application for high capacity energy storage devices. Silicon has been tried because of its high theoretical specific capacity (on the order of 4200 mAh/g) but the stress created due to volume expansion during intercalation of Li causes fracture and hence electrical isolation between the particles and the current collector leading to capacity loss. This invention demonstrates the design of metallurgical grade polycrystalline silicon anodes which can achieve h...

Preparation of Melanin-inspired Antimicrobials

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:58:59 GMT

BACKGROUND Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a serious worldwide health problem, which presents the risk of increased infection and uncontrolled transmission. Antibiotic resistance due to the misuse of drugs has genetically selected for the survival of resistant bacterial strains. This renders established antibiotic treatments ineffective against these strains, consequentially increasing mortality rates as well as economic costs. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria resistant to many antibiotics. The Centers for Disease Con...

ViLDAR (Visible Light Detection and Ranging): A Novel Speed Estimation System using Visible Light in Vehicles

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:58:11 GMT

OSU researchers have developed an advanced method named ViLDAR (Visible Light Detection and Ranging). In this method, the speed of a vehicle is detected using the vehicle’s LED headlight intensity information acquired by a photo-detector (PD) (Figure 1). The experimental results show that ViLDAR method outperforms the traditional RADAR/LiDAR methods (that uses radio frequencies (RF) or laser signals) in speed accuracy for a wide range of incidence angles between vehicle and PD (Figure 2). Potential Areas of Application - Automotive Industry - Vehicle Ranging - Radar/Lidar manufac...

Tools for Visualizing and Cutting Tissue for Minimally-Invasive Surgery

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:57:34 GMT

BACKGROUND Minimally invasive surgical procedures are increasingly becoming preferred approaches for the management of various benign and malignant surgical conditions. Comparing with open surgical procedures, minimal invasive procedures face challenges in proper identification of anatomical danger zones which includes arteries, veins, ureter, bowel, bile duct, etc. As these zones are situated under the tubular structure surgeon cannot see them and have chances of injury. Recent studies have developed some probes which aims to sense the arteries using mechanical pressure changes due to pulsat...

Modified Carbon Fiber Electrodes for Multifunctional Composites

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:57:09 GMT

BACKGROUND Applications of supercapacitors in the form of structural supercapacitors has been an incredibly interesting field of study in energy storage devices in the previous two decades. Supercapacitors uniquely occupy the interface of capacitors (high power density) and rechargeable batteries (high energy density). Structural supercapacitors are a form of multifunctional composites that provide both electrical storage and structural performance. In the simplest form, a multifunctional structural composite can be fabricated by combining two layers of carbon fiber pl...

Estimation of the Age of Body Fluid Stains Using RNA Degradation and a Novel qPCR Approach

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:56:27 GMT

BACKGROUND Forensic laboratories frequently quantitate the amount of human genomic DNA recovered from evidentiary biological fluid samples. Additionally, forensic experts are often called into court to testify as to when a particular biological fluid sample was deposited at a crime scene. The time of deposit of a biological fluid sample remains a critical component of DNA experts’ testimonies. Current methods for quantifying and/or estimating the age of a biological fluid sample utilize two transcripts: one in which the amount of the transcript is expected to change over time, and anoth...

Noncontact Vitals Monitoring Using Visible Light Sensing (VLS)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:55:40 GMT

BACKGROUND Monitoring human body vitals is critical for accurate diagnosis of diseases and for deciding appropriate treatment and/or therapy methods. In particular, respiration rate and heart rate are of importance for heart and lung diseases. Many vitals monitoring systems have been introduced to get the most accurate results using either contact- or noncontact-based approaches. Although many state-of-the-art systems for the vital signs measurements are based on contact sensors such as probes, chest straps and pulse oximeters, these contact-based sensors are sometimes inconvenien...

Chemothermal Ablation of Reproductive Organs

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:55:27 GMT

BACKGROUND Sterilization is routinely performed in male farm animals to prevent aggressive behavior and unwanted pregnancies, avoid of prorogation of inferior genetic traits and enhance meat quality. Several studies have also demonstrated a strong impact of animal stress and pain associated with castration on weight gain. In farm animals, the most commonly used castration methodologies include open surgery and banding with an elastrator rubber ring. Although these techniques do not significantly impact the overall wellbeing of an animal when performed in the first 4-weeks of birth, castration...

Sonosensitized Cancer Immunotherapy with Nanoparticles

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:54:40 GMT

BACKGROUND The ability of the immune system to recognize, attack, and eliminate tumors is well established. However, several tumor types (such as, but not limited to, melanoma, pancreatic, and breast tumor types) manifest a variety of immunosuppressive mechanisms to evade immune attack. As such, reversing the protective immune suppression mechanisms and stimulating immune cell activation is the fundamental goal of cancer immunotherapy. Local activation of immunogenic cell death (ICD) has been shown to stimulate innate and adaptive immunity in malignant tumors. However, the utilization o...

A safe, self-limited, live RSV vaccine expressing pre-fusion conformation - stabilized fusion protein, and inducing both humoral and cellular anti-RSV immunity

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:53:31 GMT

BACKGROUND Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the single largest viral cause of pediatric bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with a high worldwide mortality, and there is no safe and effective vaccine. Ever since the encounter with vaccine-enhanced disease (VED) during a formalin-inactivated RSV vaccination trial in the 1960s, it has been enormously challenging to impart both sufficient safety and efficacy in a single vaccine. RSV contains a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome that expresses eleven known proteins from ten genes. Of these, the fusion (F) protein is a transmembrane...

TFT-less IR-driven OLED Display

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:52:47 GMT

BACKGROUND TV screen sizes are getting bigger and bigger every year. However, manufacturers using organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology face a big challenge in fabricating TV screens over 100 inches at reasonable cost. Unlike the OLED process which is compatible with low-cost, low-temperature, and large area processing methods including roll-to-roll printing processes, the thin film transistor (TFT) backplane used for active matrix (AM) driver circuits requires a batchto-batch vacuum process with a limited substrate size. Currently, the largest mother-glass size for a TFT backpl...

Chroman and Tetrahydroquinoline-Derived Heteroarotinoids as Agents to Treat Human Ovarian Cancer

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:51:13 GMT

BACKGROUND Advanced stage malignant ovarian cancer (MOC) is an incurable disease of women, resistant to chemotherapies with agents such as cisplatin, carboplatin and taxane. MOC chemotherapies also have limited tumor specificity and cause significant toxicity, resulting in modest efficacy and recurrence in greater than 70% of treated patients. Thus, there is a critical need to overcome the conventional chemotherapy barriers, and develop new means to treat and prevent recurrence of ovarian cancers, while minimizing adverse side effects to patients. Our group’s previous discovery ...

Lithium Ion Battery Anode Containing Carbon Coated Silicon and Production Process

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:46:35 GMT

Abstract A facile route to suppress the capacity fading because of the pulverization and uncontrolled growth of solid electrolyte interphase in silicon anodes is described. In this new approach, a mixture consisting of milled silicon particles and superconducting carbon particles is dispersed with a liquid precursor of carbon (Furfuryl alcohol). Silicon particles milled and coated with carbon using this simple approach showed a reversible capacity of 1050 mAh/g after 200 cycles. Impedance spectroscopy is used to identify the roles of different sources of impedance on the overall electrode per...

Method and Implementation of Dispersion Compensation in Terahertz Wireless Signals

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:46:08 GMT

BACKGROUND A broadband, wireless terahertz signal is comprised of a multitude of individual frequency components. These frequencies travel at different speeds through the atmosphere, which causes the composite signal to spread out in time, as some frequency components arrive later than others. This is an undesirable effect known as “group delay dispersion” (GDD). Positive GDD occurs when terahertz waves propagate through the atmosphere, and this indicates that high frequencies arrive later than low frequencies. The resulting temporal broadening due to GDD distorts the received sig...

Effects of Nitrite Embed Packaging and Rosemary on Dark Cutting Beef Color

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:46:00 GMT

BACKGROUND Beef purchasing decisions are influenced by color over any other quality factor. Consumers use discoloration as an indicator of freshness and wholesomeness, associating bright red color with these qualities; any deviation from this color leads to a discounted price on beef. Nearly 15% of all retail beef ends up being sold for a discounted price due to discoloration, creating a massive economic loss. Meat color is primarily determined by myoglobin, a sarcoplasmic protein present in muscle tissue, existing in 3 redox states. The desired state, oxymyoglobin, is not as prevalent&n...

Omniphobic Coatings for Surface Treatment

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:40:41 GMT

BACKGROUND This invention is a method of 3D coating of fabrics at submicron thicknesses with PFAS to produce omniphobic (both hydro- and oleo-) fabrics in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Fabrics coated using the inventive method maintain omniphobicity much better than the standard method of spraying. The invention uses a solventless, vapor-deposition technique to deposit the omniphobic material. Benefit This method of 3D coating of fabrics allows production of omniphobic material (both water and oil repellent) in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. The ...

Peristaltic Mechanism for Compression of Compressible Fluids

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:37:52 GMT

BACKGROUND According to the Energy Information Administration, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems account for 24% of energy consumption in the United States. These systems are found in a broad range of applications, such as residential buildings, aeronautics, industry, transportation, and medicine. Effectively all present models rely on positive displacement compressors (such as scroll, screw, or rotary compressors) requiring valves, fixed internal volume ratios, or both to function. However, valves are a source of significant leakage, and fixed volume ratios cause over- or under-comp...

Electrochemical Paper Assay for Ultra-low Detection of Molecules in Complex Matrices

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:36:27 GMT

BACKGROUND Rapidly growing diabetic disorders and associated health complications highlight the need for developing new user-friendly affordable biosensors that can improve the patient care. Glucose sensors and insulin monitoring devices that help with regulating normal glucose metabolism have gained considerable attention. New electrochemical detection platforms are cost-effective and amenable to miniaturization, and thus provide the possibility to fulfill point-of-care needs for diabetic patients. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU researchers developed a novel paper-based label-free electrochemic...

Fabrication of Large Area Gold-based Metalenses

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:36:07 GMT

BACKGROUND Surface plasmons (SP) and surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) are nonlinear 36 many-body excitations that couple light with the electron density of states of a material, in 37 particulars, metals. The nonlinear nature of SP and SPP can be used for frequency doubling of 38 light (second harmonic generation) and the formation of evanescent waves that enhance 39 the Raman signature of molecules on a surface (surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy), to 40 name a few. More recently, plasmonics are being utilized in metalenses, a two-dimensional lens 41 that mitigates aberrations and stig...

Methods of Making and Using Zwitterionic Hydrogel Beads for Protein Therapy and Protein Immobilization

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:36:00 GMT

BACKGROUND Proteins are incredibly useful in medicine and industrial chemistry. Many of the most recent breakthroughs in cancer therapy are based on monoclonal antibody treatments. Yet, there are major difficulties that can act as deterrents in developments of such therapies. Similarly, usage of proteins as enzymes is limited by poor stability, short half-life, and difficulties with reusability. With growing usage of proteins as pharmaceuticals and biocatalysts, and apparent shortcomings in both fields, there is a growing need to design materials that are protein compatible and can improve pr...

Using Mie Resonance Mediated Energy and Electron Transfer of Dielectric Cu2O Nanoparticles in Photocatalysis

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:35:52 GMT

BACKGROUND Photovoltaics and solar thermal collectors are most widely used for solar energy generation. Until now, this field has been dominated by photovoltaic devices, usually made of silicon, and profiting from the experience in manufacturing and material availability resulting from the semiconductor industry. Understanding the working mechanisms, one can recognize that two common limitations exist in solar utilization schemes- the limited light absorption and the rapid charge recombination in semiconductors. Some semiconductors have been explored for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applic...

IncRNA FENDRR Exhibits Anti-fibrotic Activity in Pulmonary Fibrosis

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:35:24 GMT

BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal fibrotic lung disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function that is chronic and fatal. The only treatment option shown to significantly extend life in a patient with IPF is a lung transplant, which only provides a ~40% survival rate 5 years post-operation. IPF usually occurs in people between the ages of 50 and 70, affecting approximately 200,000 individuals and causing 40,000 annually in America each year. Unfortunately, limited knowledge of pathogenesis of IPF has resulted in a lack of effective treatments to halt, ...

Rapid Anaplasma Detection Kit

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:34:23 GMT

BACKGROUND The tick-borne pathogens in the genus Anaplasma continues to impact livestock production in the United States and worldwide. Economic loss due to bovine anaplasmosis in the U.S., alone, is estimated to be greater than $300 million/year. While acute disease results in considerable production losses, cattle can survive the acute phase of Anaplasma marginale develop persistent life-long infection, and therefore pose risk of future outbreaks. These animals then serve as a major reservoir for biological infection and transmission by ticks and mechanical transmission by the transfer...

Turboelectric Power and Propulsion System for Unmanned Aircraft

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:33:52 GMT

BACKGROUND Current level of technology (LOT) multi-rotor unmanned aircraft (UAS) platforms is limited in range and endurance by the inherently low energy density of current LOT batteries. With more rigorous requirements being imposed by commercial, industrial, and defense users, the UAS market is leaning heavily on hybrid systems to fill this gap. Piston based hybrid systems exist; however, they struggle to overcome issues such as cylinder wall cooling, vibration, and the ability to run on heavy fuels. Turboelectric power and propulsion systems leverage the high energy density of hydroca...

Rocket-Assisted Take-Off System Technology Demonstrator for Unmanned Aircraft

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:33:42 GMT

BACKGROUND Some unmanned aircraft applications for high-speed flight, such as aerial target drones, require a means to launch without a runway. Current methods to address this need include catapults, pneumatic launch rails and rocket-assisted take-off (RATO) systems. The use of a RATO system is often expensive but can be accomplished with a zero-length launch rail that cradles the vehicle and uses a launch footprint nearly the size of the vehicle itself. This method uses rocket motors to not only propel the vehicle forward but also lift the aircraft vertically to a desired flight path an...

An Efficient Algorithm to Calculate a Covariance Semblance Coefficient for High Resolution Seismic Velocity Spectra

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:27:59 GMT

BACKGROUND The ability to accurately estimate seismic velocity is vital to accurate, common depth point (CDP) processing and seismic interpretation for structural interpretation and even more so for stratigraphic interpretation. Calculating the velocity spectra using the conventional semblance coefficient is still the predominant method even though this approach does not have the resolving power of subspace methods. This fast-covariance invention provides a nearly noise-free estimate identical to the standard spatial covariance estimate from subspace methods for the semblance coefficient wit...

Sliding Weather Instrument Fixed to Tether (SWIFT)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:23:40 GMT

BACKGROUND Kite Popper Line Climber is a manually deployed and uncontrollable sail. Kite popper can travel up the kite line to a stopping point (or bridle point) where the line connects to the kite, then “pop” closed and slide back down the line. The user needs to thread the kite through the popper, open its sail, and watch as the wind carries it all the way up to a kite. When it reaches the kite, it will collapse (with the help of an elastic band) and slide back down to the user to send the popper up to the kite again SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY SWIFT is designed as a climbing s...

Multi-chamber single use bioreactor

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:11:51 GMT

BACKGROUND Industrial biopharmaceutical cell culture necessitates an expensive and risky scale-up process to get production scale volumes in order to manufacture proteins and other biopharmaceutical products. Traditional stirred single-use bioreactor bags can only scale to a five-fold maximum, but scaling for production requires several thousand fold increases. For industrial production, a complex seed train of multiple disposable bags with associated equipment are needed. These production scaling practices depend on highly trained personnel working in aseptic conditions on highly specia...

BioGas Sampler (MetaGas or MetaboGas Sampler)

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:08:34 GMT

BACKGROUND Subterranean mound-building termites produce the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane (CO2 and CH4, respectively). For African, Australian, and South American taxa, these patterns have been well studied. However, North American termite gas emissions have not been defined in field settings, largely due to their uneven spatial distribution. Greenhouse gases are emitted out of soil from more sources than termites, and an accurate method of acquiring biogas measurements in field settings is needed to track the flux in associated biogas emission. SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY OSU resea...

Inhibitors of the BfrB-Bfd Complex for Killing Biofilm Bacteria

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:06:21 GMT

BACKGROUND Biofilms are communities of microbes adhering to a surface and often embedded in an extracellular matrix. As a result of this structure, biofilms exhibit resistance to both host immune responses and antibiotics. Approximately 80% of human bacterial infections involve biofilms; this can take the form of chronic wound infections, chronic otitis media, osteomyelitis, recurrent urinary tract infection, endocarditis, and cystic fibrosis-associated lung infections. There is also a high incidence of biofilm-associated infections affecting indwelling catheters, orthopedic implants, st...

Additive Manufacturing Using Ionized Particles

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:06:12 GMT

BACKGROUND Modern 3D printers can print intricate shapes at fine detail, but their low print speed enables them to only be used for prototyping or, at best, limited batch manufacturing. As an example, the fasted current metal printers can print a volume of about 60 cm³/hr. per nozzle or laser. This equivalent to about 8 grams/minute for a stainless-steel material. Cold spray is a manufacturing technique wherein particles, usually of metal, are accelerated at supersonic velocities to impact on a substrate. The high speed of the particles causes them to cold weld onto the substrate. T...

OklaDrought

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:06:02 GMT

BACKGROUND Droughts are a recurrent feature of Oklahoma's climate, and agriculture is one of the largest sectors in the state that is affected by drought events. Drought monitoring helps growers and policymakers make necessary arrangements to reduce the impact of drought and provide them with sufficient time to implement the contingency plans duly. Drought severity is computed using drought indices, which are based on environmental data. According to the World Meteorological Organization, most of the drought indices do not provide much-required accuracy and ease-of-use that hinders the pla...

Machine Learning-Enabled Accelerated Discovery of High Conductivity Ionic Liquids

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 14:03:07 GMT

Background Ionic liquids are a class of salts that are liquid at room temperature with several unique and desirable properties such as negligible vapor pressure, environmentally friendly, high thermal and electrochemical stability. Because of these favorable properties, ionic liquids are currently considered a potential replacement for conventional organic electrolytes in Li-ion batteries. However, a significant limitation of ionic liquids is their sluggish transport properties limiting their widespread application in battery technology. This drawback can be tackled by choosing the right ioni...

Small Turbojet Exhaust Nozzle with Optimal Geometry and Integrated Exit Guide Vanes

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:57:47 GMT

BACKGROUND Small scale turbojets are used for various applications amongst the military and commercial industry. Given their diverse capability, these engines need to perform at an optimal level to maintain success in their missions. The purpose of the presented design is to improve the thrust-to-weight ratio of a small turbojet engine by only modifying the nozzle. For demonstration purposes, a JetCat P100-RX turbojet engine will be used for analysis and testing. The primary challenge is to increase thrust with minimal increase in weight. Several solutions were constructed such as nozzle...

Individual Intake Hay Basket Modification for SmartFeed Units

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:56:15 GMT

BACKGROUND Individualized livestock feeding systems are an indispensable facet of modern agricultural research, development, and production. However, these setups are often non-conducive to use with bulky feeding materials, such as long-stemmed hay. Research studies collecting hay intake data can decrease hay bulkiness (e.g., adding moisture, reducing particle size), but these changes to hay affect intake and do not provide an accurate representation of diets consumed in production settings. This creates a rift between research and field settings, the former of which is built around fee...

Method for Deriving Minimum-Phase Source-Signature from Multi-Channel Multi-Offset Seismic Data

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:55:51 GMT

BACKGROUND A seismic survey is designed to image or map the subsurface of the earth by sending energy generated by a seismic source down into the ground and recording the “echoes” that return from the rock layers below. The source of seismic energy might be, for example, explosions or seismic vibrators on land or air guns in marine environments. During a seismic survey, the source is positioned at various locations near the earth's surface above a geologic structure of interest. Each time the source is activated, it generates a signal that travels downward through the earth, i...

New Class of Non-Antibiotic Antimicrobial Compounds

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:49:57 GMT

BACKGROUND Emerging drug resistant and virulent bacterial strains pose a significant threat to modern clinical practice due to increasing pressure on existing antibacterial therapies and the rise in hospital and community-based infections. Multi‐drug resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria and fungi are now resistant to most available antibiotics and antifungals, including new generation, ceftazidime and daptomycin. Hence, there is an urgent need for the next generation of antibacterial agents. Our discovery of a new group of small molecules – cyanoximes – followed by their intensive ...

Real Time Measurement of Moisture and Hydration of Concrete

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:48:32 GMT

BACKGROUND Concrete derives its strength from calcium silicate hydrate, a product of the hydration reaction that takes place when water is mixed with cement. A process known as curing, which involves providing continuous moisture and maintaining or providing heat to the concrete mixture, promotes the formation of calcium silicate hydrate. Curing conditions can impact the development of the calcium silicate hydrate microstructure. This in turn affects the properties of the cured concrete, such as porosity, permeability, shrinkage, creep, and strength. To optimize curing conditions, it is benef...

RT-RPA nfo for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Covid-19 Specimens

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:48:16 GMT

BACKGROUND COVID-19 has caused a global pandemic. As a result, several assays and detection processes have been developed. Covid diagnostics is a huge market estimated at over $84 bn in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% from 2021 to 2027. Although there are 100s of Covid diagnostic tests being developed by companies around the world, there are very few that are RPA-based. As a result, OSU’s novel test can provide a differentiated value to COVID-19 testing laboratories and facilities, particularly those that cannot afford investing into RT-PCR...

Recycling Diesel Soot Nanoparticles for Use as Activated Carbon in Li ion Batteries

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:48:06 GMT

BACKGROUND The steady increase in the consumption of fossil fuels in modern society has caused several serious environmental and human health issues. The burning of fossil fuels not only produces carbon dioxide emissions, which are contributing to global warming and poisoning the world’s oceans, but also releases toxic air-borne pollutants into the atmosphere. For example, combustion of fossil fuels in diesel engines generates nanoscale particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter lower than 2.5 μm (ex. PM2.5). According to Global Burden of Disease report, alm...

Laser Fabrication of Multi-principal Element Alloy Nanoparticles

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:47:51 GMT

BACKGROUND In the past decade, the development of multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs), a parent domain of high entropy alloys (HEAs), has created significant interest in the materials community, particularly as structural materials due to their superior mechanical and radiation-resistant properties. MPEAs consist of multiple principal elements in the atomic lattice sites as compared to one principal and other minor alloying elements in conventional alloys. While the research of HEAs has brought several breakthroughs already, it has been largely restricted to the bulk-scale phenomena. ...

An IgM ELISA to Detect Acute Cytauxzoonosis

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:43:11 GMT

BACKGROUND Cytauxzoonosis is a highly-fatal disease of domestic cats with limited treatment modalities and a narrow therapeutic window. This condition is common in southeastern and southcentral United States with an estimated mortality of near 100% without treatment. Records from 2014-2020 shows ~97% mortality in cases seen by the OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and it is estimated that up to 4110 cats are infected with the Cytauxzoon felis each year in Oklahoma alone. Current standard of care therapies (atovaquone + azithromycin) can increase survival up to 60% in cats with cytauxzoonosis,...

3D Printing System for Vertical Construction

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 27 May 2022 13:43:00 GMT

BACKGROUND Most 3D printing systems sequentially apply their layers from above. Such systems have distinct challenges when creating vertically reinforced concrete structures such as walls or columns. Most vertical reinforced concrete structures contain reinforcing bars that give the structure strength after the concrete has cracked. It is possible to use other methods of reinforcing, such as internally mixed fibers, placing reinforcement inside of previously placed concrete, or reinforcing the structure externally. Methods which do not place concrete around pre-placed reinforcement bars ...

Polyamide Membranes Incorporating Metal Organic Frameworks for Water Treatment

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Thu, 26 May 2022 12:03:02 GMT

BACKGROUND As groundwater is pumped from water wells, there usually is a localized drop in the water table around the well, called a cone of depression. When there are many wells that have been pumping water for a long time, the regional water table can drop significantly. This is called groundwater mining, which can force the drilling of deeper, more expensive wells that commonly encounter more saline groundwater. Rivers, lakes, and artificial lakes (reservoirs) can also be depleted due to overuse. Some large rivers, such as the Colorado in the U.S. and Yellow in China, run dry in some ...

Host Defense Peptide-Inducing Compounds as Alternatives to Antibiotics

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 25 May 2022 13:27:58 GMT

BACKGROUND Microbial resistance to antibiotics is a serious worldwide health problem, which presents the risk of increased infection and uncontrolled transmission. Unfortunately, one of the drivers for this resistance is overuse of antibiotics, which genetically selects for the survival of resistant strains. This occurs especially in the animal production sector, where livestock is administered with antibiotics as a group to prevent illness and curb infection spread. However, host-directed immunotherapies have emerged as promising alternative approaches to disease control and prevention ...

Stent Nanocoatings with Controlled Drug Release and Improved Biocompatibility

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 25 May 2022 13:15:02 GMT

BACKGROUND Coronary artery disease (CAD), affected over 523 million people in 2019, killing 18.6 million. Arterial stents are often used as part of angioplasty to keep arteries from undergoing restenosis (re-collapsing). Unfortunately, in-stent restenosis and thrombosis (clotting) are complications which can cause further cardiac damage or death. Drug-eluting stents have been shown to reduce the risk of restenosis and early thrombosis. However, the drugs employed combined with the non-optimal release rate of drugs inhibit endothelial proliferation, increasing the rate of late thrombosis compa...

Multi-Fluid to Air Heat Exchanger Utilization for Integration of Thermal Energy Storage or Multiple Fluid System for Air Cooling and Heating Applications

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 25 May 2022 09:17:05 GMT

BACKGROUND Several factors limit thermal storage within a building’s mass. Use of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) allows reductions in vapor compression system size and taking advantage of time-of-day or real-time variable electricity rates. From a grid connection type of view, it enables load shifting or shedding, allowing to adjust electrical load as solar and wind fluctuate. TES can be applied to both air-source and ground-source secondary loop equipment. The secondary loop enabling zoning in future projects (e.g., Springer et al. 2012) – which is not possible with planned low GWP...

Method of Removing Oil and Heavy Metals from Petroleum Produced Water Using Microbiological Stimulation Coupled to Dolomite Filtration

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Wed, 25 May 2022 08:23:57 GMT

BACKGROUND The production of conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources is accompanied by the production of large volumes of produced water (PW). PW contains high concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) and oil. TDS of PW includes high concentrations of toxic metals (e.g., Ba, Sr, Cd, Cr, and As). Oil includes dissolved and emulsified oil mostly composed of n-alkanes. Concentrations of n-alkanes and toxic metals in PW is orders magnitude higher than in conventional wastewater. A combination of high concentrations of n-alkanes and toxic metals does not only pose a risk to huma...

A Method for Improving Critical Heat Flux

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Tue, 24 May 2022 12:33:02 GMT

BACKGROUND Boiling is a phenomenon of vital importance in a broad range of industries such as power generation, desalination, chemical processing, refrigeration, and electronics thermal management. Nucleate boiling is an efficient way of transferring heat, for a given difference between the heat transfer surface and the fluid temperatures (the so-called wall superheat). Unfortunately, Boiling Crisis occurs when a vapor layer forms on a heating surface resulting in orders of magnitude reduction in the rate of boiling. This requires additional energy inputs to achieve boiling which can be detr...

A Risk Index System for Evaluating Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Mon, 23 May 2022 08:17:32 GMT

BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy is a vascular condition that damages the retina as a result of diabetes mellitus, and is the leading cause of blindness in industrialized nations, and the leading cause of blindness in adults globally. The likelihood of patients developing diabetic retinopathy is very high, with almost all of Type I and more than 60% of Type II patients developing it after 20 years of having diabetes. To reduce vision loss there is a critical need to accurately screen for this serious eye condition as early as possible to allow for adequate prevention treatment and increas...

Method for Preventing Sediment Disruption due to Degassing in Coring Operations

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 20 May 2022 15:05:03 GMT

BACKGROUND Volume expansion of sediments in coring operations due to sediment degassing as they travel from the higher pressure subsurface to the lower pressure drilling platform is a known problem. At reasonable depth below the seafloor, the sediments do not flow like slurry as they are more consolidated and have an inherent texture that contains minute cracks and crevasses. Though these sediments may be “soft,” they exhibit a heterogenous permeability with higher permeable zones such as cracks and crevasses serving as natural flow channels to release entrained gas as the surroun...

High Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Polymer Composites

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 20 May 2022 11:50:45 GMT

BACKGROUND Traditionally, metals have been used to protect against electromagnetic interference; however, their weight and machinability constraints have led to an increased usage of composites. To address the issue of low conductivity in composites, intrinsically conducting polymers or the inclusion of conductive fillers (e.g., carbon black, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes) have been employed. Unfortunately, these materials have less shielding effect than metals, even at high volume fractions of fillers (which have an additional detriment of reducing toughness and ductilit...

Nanodiamond Process Technology Development for Thermal Management of Power Electronics

cowboyinnovations@okstate.edu — Fri, 20 May 2022 11:43:22 GMT

Abstract This invention is a novel nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) seeding and process technology which enables the direct extraction of heat from power devices such as GaN, SiC which operate at high current densities requiring rapid heat dissipation. The method comprises seeding NCD of about 6 nm diameter. Once seeded, the layer is grown to between 200 nm and 1 micrometer. This novel system pulls heat directly from the device layer, rather than through the substrate. Novel method for depositing nanocrystalline diamond thin layers Heat dissipation from the device layer rather th...