The O'Colly, Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Thursday, September 28, 2023

OSU professor uncovers new Ebola transmission insights

Kennedy Thomason News & Lifestyle Editor

New findings on Ebola transmission have been discovered.

Patrick Stephens, integrative biology assistant professor at OSU, and his team published a new study on the transmission of Ebola. The study was conducted with researchers from the Univer-

sity of Georgia and the Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies. The team also studied the potential host range of Ebola viruses, which was led by Mekala Sundaram, who was at OSU when the study was published. Stephens said scientists have been curious about which animals are natural hosts, or reservoirs, for Ebola. His team worked to identify the natural hosts, who transmit the virus to humans or other animals.

“This is really important because species that are both likely to develop infections when exposed to the virus and tolerate infections well are the best candidates for primary reservoir species,” Stephens said. “These species will survive long enough to spread the virus to many other species. Our models appear to be able to predict which species will succumb quickly to or tolerate infections with about 90% accuracy.”

OSU professor pushes natural solutions to environmental issues

Kennedy Thomason News & Lifestyle Editor

Mary Foltz is part of the effort to save the environment and push for sustainability.

Foltz, assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at OSU, influences change through her students.

“My goal is to challenge and change perspectives and minds as it pertains to our environment and sustainability,”

Foltz said. “If I can change one student’s mind, then they might choose to pursue a field in environmental sustainability and change 10 more minds.”

She has worked for CEAT since the fall of 2021, investigating greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural nutrient cycling and nature-based solutions.

Foltz takes a global approach, meaning she thinks through how potential solutions could affect the rest of the environment. Specifically, her team is researching natu-

rally occurring processes, such as denitrification and CO2 sequestration, that create few problems for the environment.

“The environment built itself and evolved in a way that can be self-sustained, and it would make sense to apply some of these natural tools to try to reestablish balance,” Foltz said. “However, it can be challenging to find the right tool, especially when you have to balance so many variables such as the environmental cost, monetary cost and the social cost.”

See

Marin Wolf

The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS -- Every fen-

tanyl death in North Texas is exponentially destructive. Classroom chairs sit empty. Families mourn. Grandparents go back to work to raise their orphaned grandchildren. Then come the bills. Funeral and medical expenses can cost tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. But each life squandered to overdose or addiction equals lost hours working, parenting, creating and spending that ripple across the Texas economy in ways that can scarcely be measured.

In 2022, Texas lost the financial equivalent of around 15 Dallas Cowboys franchises, or more than Warren Buffett’s net worth, because of opioids. The epidemic’s total financial impact can’t be fully calculated. It’s nearly impossible to separate the cost of fentanyl from the cost of opioids overall. Comprehensive data takes months or years to gather; fentanyl’s invasion of North Texas has been swift.

There is no good cost estimate for fentanyl at the state level, said Ray Perryman, president and CEO of the highly-regarded Waco economic research firm The Perryman Group. What economists have been able to analyze is the broader opioid epidemic, and the conclusions are grim. Here’s what we know — and what we don’t — about how fentanyl has burdened the state’s economy.

The opioid landscape

Beyond Cowboys franchises, last year’s losses in Texas can only be measured by other absurd yardsticks: $135 billion is about the amount that the entire country spent on school supplies this year. The number

is more than 800 times the size of Texas, if you measure Texas in acres.

It breaks down like this: Use of fentanyl and other opioids cost Texas $50.1 billion in economic output and $84.6 billion in pain and suffering, lost quality time with family and limited personal activity, according to an analysis by The Perryman Group. It also resulted in the loss of almost 517,000 jobs.

“As large as these numbers are, they likely understate the true impact,” Perryman said. “It’s widely acknowledged that drug addiction is underreported.”

The research firm’s recent report, prompted by questions from The Dallas Morning News, examined medical expenses, drug treatment costs, criminal justice costs and lost earnings across more than 500 industries last year. It pulled data from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies in its analysis.

The people who died of overdoses in 2022 left a hole in the economy that will ultimately cost the state $114.6 billion in gross product and 1.2 million years of work, the study showed.

Losses measured in the billions across an entire state can be hard to conceptualize, but Kathy O’Keefe had to face such a reality when her son Brett died of an accidental drug overdose in 2010.

O’Keefe and her husband, who live in Flower Mound, had to file for bankruptcy because of the growing pile of bills from hospital visits, rehab stays and funeral costs. Brett overdosed three times, the second of which led to a $726,000 hospital stay.

“You’re scrambling just trying to keep your kid alive,” O’Keefe said. “You’re doing everything you can possibly do, and then you get hit with all the financials.”

The opioid epidemic is deadly and expensive.

Here’s what it has cost Texas

Tribune News Service

Winning The Fight founder Kathy O’Keefe teaches McKinney High School health class students about mental health, drugs, addictions and their consequences at the McKinney, Texas school, on Sept. 14, 2023. Along with her son, Brett Morgan OÃKeefe, who died from an accidental drug overdose, she uses examples of students in North Texas that have died from deadly drug overdoses, including fentanyl.

Courtesy of OSU

Patrick Stephens, integrative biology assistant professor at OSU, and his team published a new study on the transmission of Ebola.

Fall officially began on Saturday, but temperatures still remain upwards of 80 degrees. Campus greenery has soaked up the sun and continues to look vibrant through the recent season change. OSU landscaping services maintains the grounds and keeps them looking fresh throughout the year. This semester, they planted particularly colorful greenery.

Monday - Wednesday: 10:00am - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 10:00am - 11:00pm

128 N Main St.

Stillwater, OK 74075

Ben Holieway

Delainey Cops

Delainey Cops

Delainey Cops

Delainey Cops

Cowboys went with white-white-black in Ames

creating a modernized look to OSU’s traditional colors. The orange and black stripes on each player’s sleeve is a classic look.

Cowboys has been a staple of this year’s jersey design for Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys took the field in Ames on Saturday styled in one of their two white jerseys.

The white jerseys sported orange numbers with a sleek, black outline,

The numbers falling on the sleeves of each uniform are a unique look to the OSU football team as they haven’t seen this style since 2005. Bringing tradition back to the current generation of

And the “Patriot Pete” helmets are a good look, and it’s the first time OSU hasn’t used the script Cowboys logo or OSU brand logo.

Final Take

The orange numbers on this jersey are great, but it could have been better

matched with orange pants rather than the black. Also, where are the gray jerseys? Will they be brought out at some point this season?

The gray jerseys with some orange lettering and black outline would be a great look that would add a splash of modernism to this year’s collection.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Nick Becker

The orange numbers popped when paired with a white jersey.

Kenzie Kraich Staff Reporter

Nick Becker

The Cowboys went with the “Patriot Pete” helmets for the first time this season.

Big challange lies ahead for Cowgirls against UCF

son Stadium, and the game will stream on ESPN+. This ends OSU’s four-game home stand. Here are some storylines to keep an eye on.

Battle of the Goalkeepers

During those eight starts, Gordon has allowed six goals and recorded five shutouts. Whichever team’s offense scores first could set the tone for the remainder of the game.

has played 699 minutes. Viewers can expect aggressiveness when these two athletes take the field.

One of OSU’s biggest games of the season awaits.

The Cowgirls (10-2) host the UCF Knights (7-2) on Thursday, in the Cowgirls’ first clash with a new Big 12 member. OSU enters on a four-game winning streak, and UCF has won five in a row and sits No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches rankings.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Neal Patter-

OSU’s Grace Gordon and UCF’s Caroline DeLisle have each been phenomenal in goal.

DeLisle has started every game for the Knights and recorded four shutouts. Gordon earned her spot as the starting goalkeeper following tight competition during the first few weeks of the season. She has started each of the previous eight games, playing a full 90 minutes in seven.

Players to Watch

UCF: Ellie Moreno and Katie Bradley Ellie Moreno is UCF’s undisputed superstar. She leads the team in goals scored (5), points (10), and shots on goal (13). She started each of the first nine games, playing 760 minutes in total.

Katie Bradley started all nine games as well, scoring twice via four shots on goal. She has three assists and

OSU: Logan Heausler and Xcaret Pineda Logan Heausler has caught fire lately, scoring in each of OSU’s previous four games. She is tied with Hannah Chance for the most goals scored (7). Meanwhile, Xcaret Pineda has scored and/or assisted in seven of the past nine games. These dynamic playmakers constitute a lethal offensive attack for the Cowgirls.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Andon Freitas

Griff McClellan Staff Reporter

sports

Javon Small’s favorite food spot, go-to song

Calif Poncy Staff Reporter

With the schedule released Tuesday, basketball season is getting closer.

OSU brought in four transfers, including guard Javon Small, who spoke with the media for the first time since arriving in Stillwater.

Q: How’s it been getting ingrained in the program?

A: “It’s been going great for me, people around campus are perfectly fine. I feel like everybody around here is nice. It’s a good environment, good people, and then the athletes, and I feel like everybody in general has a lot of support.”

Q: What’s been your favorite food spot in Stillwater so far?

A: “Just Wafflin’.”

Q: If you’re on the aux in the locker room, what are you putting on?

A: “I’m probably putting on some Veeze, Lil Baby, Lil Durk and YTB FATT.”

Q: What’s your go-to song right now?

A: Singing - “This is not a fire drill, it’s the real thing.” (Song is ‘Not a Drill’ by Veeze, in case you’re curious.)

Q: Who do you model your game after?

A: “I don’t have one person specifically, but I’d say I model my game a little bit after Chris Paul, Dame Lillard and Fred VanVleet.”

Q: What’s been your favorite part about Stillwater so far?

A: “Honestly, just getting with my teammates and bonding with them, that’s the main part, just getting in here with them and getting some shots up.”

Q: What matchups are you most excited for this season?

A: “Kansas, and when we go to the tournament in Brooklyn, Notre Dame. Those are the main two teams I have circled. Notre Dame is my hometown, and Kansas we got some other reasons that can’t be explained.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Javon Small said his favorite food spot in Stillwater is “Just Wafflin’.”

To better understand natural hosts, the team studied over 500 species of African wild animals. Previous studies had not surpassed more than 120 species.

The team also studied the Newman Pick, or NPC1 gene, which can affect Ebola’s infection in host cells of mammals. They created a model that predicts species which are likely to be infected based on their ecological and morphological traits.

The study found that fruit bats in the family Pteropodidae are primary Ebola hosts. Analysis of NPC1 sequences was able to identify with 100% accuracy bat species which have had previously documented cases. This success means NPC1 could be a critical genetic marker to identify other species susceptible to Ebola.

“It’s kind of a perfect storm of factors,” Stephens said. “Fruit bats and primates go there to eat fruit, and humans go there both to eat the fruit and to hunt bats and primates for meat. Bats are the ones spreading it to other species, and humans get it either directly from the bats or from primates infected by bats.”

Stephens and his team are not stopping there.

Both Stephen’s team and another study by Sundaram are continuing research on transmission. Sundaram, who recently joined UGA’s faculty, is

on a research team is comprised of researchers from UGA and the Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies.

“By soliciting and synthesizing the expertise of other team members, I conceived the idea for analyses, collected data, developed the models

using appropriate machine learning methods, and led the writing of this paper for publication,” Sundaram said. “I coordinated writing efforts among all team members.”

This collaborative research between OSU and UGA is part of an NIH-funded proj-

ect, with $2.4 million funding that will last almost three more years.

“Ultimately there are two potential broad impacts of our work,” Stephens said. “First is a better understanding of how Ebola viruses are getting into human populations, and how

they are being maintained in the wild. However, ultimately we hope that the research will help prevent future outbreaks by identifying what regions and what human behaviors are likely to be high risk.”

Courtesy of Creative Commons

Patrick Stephens and his team studied over 500 species of African wild animals to research Ebola transmission.

Issues...

Foltz’s research investigates which environmental conditions are optimal

Courtesy of OSU news

for natural processes to help it, without causing greater harm.

The current challenges she faces include higher levels of CO2 and more abundant man made chemicals in the environment. To address them, Foltz pushes to educate her students and further her research.

“I just wanted to do something

good, and I loved the environment,” Foltz said. “I took a job teaching high school science and I loved it, but I missed the research aspect of science. I wanted to learn more and be able to pass that knowledge on to my students.

I think this position is the best of both worlds.”

Foltz said she wants her work to

inspire people to look to natural processes as solutions.

“I hope that’s what my impact is,” Foltz said. “Making sure folks know about this and care about this will affect change. We need to get everyone on board to work for change.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Tackling the epidemic’s cost

For years, states and counties have been fighting to make opioid manufacturers pay a share of these losses.

Dallas County has reached settlement agreements with several opioid companies and is set to receive more than $30 million, Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins said. The county is also applying for grants from the Texas Opioid Council for opioid harm reduction programs.

“The fentanyl crisis is costing us far more than what those settlements are going to get us,” Lewis Jenkins said in August in his State of the County address.

The CDC recently awarded $279 million to 49 states, Washington, D.C., and local health departments through the Overdose Data to Action initiative. Dallas County Health and Human Services will receive about $11 million of that over the next five years to create a 24/7 overdose prevention hotline, among other programs and services.

Schools, increasingly the sites of fentanyl overdoses, have responded by stocking the overdose reversal drug naloxone, training employees and educating students and families. These efforts tap existing funds and nonprofit partnerships.

Richardson ISD, for example, has received support from the Grant Halliburton Foundation.

Unseen costs

Economists measuring drug addiction have to stop somewhere, but the actual cost of the disease is more insidious.

Businesses not only lose workers and profits to opioid misuse, they rearrange their entire structure to adapt. Even kids too young to work could lose income potential they’ll never recover.

In a 2019 study, Paige Ouimet, a finance professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that

businesses — primarily those in the manufacturing industry — in areas with high prescription rates struggled to find workers and ultimately lost money.

“If they’re having trouble hiring, what are they going to do?” Ouimet said. “Well, they’re going to find ways to replace employees with technology.”

Her research found ex-

amples of this in communities devastated by the first wave of the crisis in the ‘90s and early 2000s.

“Once the local McDonald’s has gone to touch-screen ordering, they’re not going back,” Ouimet said.

Children orphaned, displaced or traumatized make up another unseen cost. In families touched by addiction,

fridges; Refractor/Keratometer; Humphrey MDL 720 analyzer; autoclaves; scales; lab scale; Mettler H20; Spectrophotometer; Orthomat Leitz film scope; electronic microscope; illuminator; shaking bath; transformers; microwave; wall panels; shredder; spirometry cart; telemed cart; power conditioners; UPSs; computers Dell; HP; Apple; laptops; microscopes; conference table; baby monitor; Polycom; TVs; amplifiers; speakers; servers; cameras; docking stations; AV; lab; laptops; desk tops; monitors; centrifuges; medical eq; misc.

TERMS: Cash, check, VISA/MC/Discover/ on day of sale. There is a 3% convenience fee to use a credit/debit card. Driver’s license required to register. Oklahoma Tax Comm. requires a copy of tax exempt certificate for exempt purchases. All items sell as is with no warranty. Descriptions are accurate to best of knowledge. Announcements made day of sale will supersede all other advertising. Seller or Auction Co. not responsible for accidents. Purchaser acknowledges that items purchased could be subject to United States laws and regulations, including those that relate to the export of items subject to export controls under the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR 730-774, and/or sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Controls. Purchaser agrees that it is Purchasers responsibility to comply with any applicable laws or regulations regarding the export of the item(s).

they suffer not just immediately, but long term. They are at an increased risk of suicide and should receive mental health screening, according to a 2019 University of Chicago study in JAMA Psychiatry .

Children could also lose future productivity and earning potential, Ouimet said.

“How are they going to interact with the labor market

as they grow up and how are they going to be stunted by this impact? We’re counting on these people to continue growing our economy.

“There are so many children who have been harmed by this. And we still don’t know the cost of that. That’s still coming.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Creative Commons

In 2022, Texas lost the financial equivalent of around 15 Dallas Cowboys franchises, or more than Warren Buffett’s net worth, because of opioids.

Come check out the wide variety of elegant clothing at Formal Fantasy!

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

The best selection of beer, wine and liquor that Stillwater has to offer! Perfect for all your game day needs, come to Brown’s Bottle Shop located on 128 N. Main

“The Original Hideaway, located on the corner of Knoblock and University.

Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6 Monday thru Saturday

Houses for rent

Spacious 1100 sq. ft 2 bedroom home. Recently remodeled, CH/A, wood

floors, nice yard. 2214 E. 6th Ave., Scarlett Bus Route. 405-372-7107.

Cowboy Calendar

Thursday 9/28/2023

Line Dancing Outlaws @ 7 - 8 p.m. $10

Cowgirl Soccer VS UCF

Neal Patterson Soccer Stadium @ 7 p.m.

OSU Symphony Orchestra Presents “Smitten w/ Britain

The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts @ 7:30 p.m.

TICKETS: Adults $12 | Students $7 | Seniors $10 https://mcknightcenter.org/Online/default.asp?doWork:

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Friday 9/29/2023

Adventuring Academy: A Pathfinder Campaign

Stillwater Public Library @ 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Dylan Wheeler Live

Tumbleweed Dancehall & Concert Venue @ 8 p.m.

Tickets: $15

Mum & Pumpkin Sale

The Botanic Garden at OSU @ 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Painting/Ceramics w/ Pizza StillyArts @ 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Book your tickets here: https://stillyarts.com/paintnights

Fee: $20 (8x10 canvas + pizza) / $30 (11x14 canvas + Pizza)

Rage In The Cage

Payne County Expo Center @ 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/Rageinthecageoklahoma/

Stillwater High School Football: Pioneers vs. BT Washington

7 p.m. $5 General

Tuesday Gardening Series: Backyard Berries

The Botanic Garden at OSU @ 6-7 p.m.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1342433476512526/

Saturday 9/30/2023

Stillwater Farmers Market

Prairie Arts Center until Oct. 28th @ 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

9th Annual Pumpkin Patch

Highland Park United Methodist Church until Oct. 31st

Monday - Friday @ 1 - 7 p.m.

Sat - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sun 12 - 6 p.m.

https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/stillwaternoon/index.php

Rage In The Cage Payne County Expo Center @ 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

https://www.facebook.com/Rageinthecageoklahoma/ Fall Festival

First United Methodist Church-Stillwater @ 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Sunday 10/01/2023

of shared financial challenges this winter. Trying new ideas next spring motivates summer collaborations to flourish. You and your partner are building for the future.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Reach a personal turning point. The old way may no longer serve. Pause to reassess. Monitor conditions and reevaluate options. Follow your heart’s compass.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Allow yourself time for private reflection. Recognize milestones and transitions. Consider the past, present and future. Listen and observe. Make plans and backups. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Share love, support and encouragement with friends. Offer greetings, salutations and goodbyes. Look back on what you’ve shared. Strengthen relationships for potential collaborations. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Set aside old routines. Make a professional adjustment. Develop projects that call to your heart. You can see what doesn’t work. Adapt for new markets.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — One door closes and another opens. Consider deviation or reorientation of your educational journey. Reach a fork in the road. Which direction now? Choose love.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate with your partner to adapt shared finances around changes. Shifts affect your income, industry, legal or insurance affairs. Work together to conserve resources.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — Adapt around a challenge for common passion. Reach a turning point with your partner. Let go of habits that no longer serve. Invent new possibilities. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 9 — You can see what wasn’t working with your health, work and fitness. Make adjustments in your routines and practices to support growing vitality.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 6 — Somebody may have a change of heart. A passion once bright tarnishes. What you thought you wanted may not be best. Adjust course.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 7 — You’re motivated for home renovation or relocation. Make domestic improvements for your family and self. Soap and paint work magic. Invent clever solutions. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — A barrier blocks communication channels. Come up with clever workarounds to stay connected. Monitor and adjust strategies. Sometimes the old becomes new again. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Monitor finan

cial accounts and income sources carefully with challenging conditions. Watch for lucrative opportunities hiding near change. One door closes and another opens.

by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Solution