Oklahoma State University–Stillwater

About: Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a education organization based out in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Large Hadron Collider. The organization has 18267 authors who have published 36743 publications receiving 1107500 citations. The organization is also known as: Oklahoma State University & OKState.

Attaining Decision Quality and Commitment From Dissent: The Moderating Effects of Loyalty and Competence in Strategic Decision-Making Teams

Abstract: Contradictory forces of dissent and consensus building attend the strategic decision process. Taking an information-processing perspective, we argue that two factors that affect perceptions of trus...

Enhanced recovery of transformants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens after freeze-thaw transformation and drug selection

Abstract: Freeze-thaw transformation provides a simple and rapid method to transform Agrobacterium tumefaciens directly with plasmid DNA Competent A tumefaciens cells of strains LBA4404, GV3850 and EHA101 were transformed with four to nine plasmids differing in size, size of insert and in some cases sensitivity to antibiotics A threefold to fourfold increase in transformed colonies per microgram of DNA was obtained by freezing cells with liquid nitrogen vs dry ice/ethanol Freezing cells in liquid nitrogen followed by incubation of transformed cells in a low concentration of appropriate antibiotics prior to plating resulted in a ninefold increase in colonies obtained compared with the procedure of freezing cells in dry ice/ethanol without the incubation period in the low concentration of antibiotics prior to plating Restriction fragments of the expected sizes from the plasmids indicated that the procedural modifications did not cause apparent recombinations in the region of the inserts

Vegetation dynamics on rangelands: a critique of the current paradigms

Abstract: Summary 1. Rangeland ecologists have been debating the validity of two current paradigms for the evaluation of vegetation dynamics on rangelands. This debate frequently contrasts the conventional model of continuous and reversible vegetation dynamics (range model) with a more contemporary model that can accommodate discontinuous and non-reversible vegetation change (state-and-transition model). 2. The range and the state-and-transition models are conceptually related to the equilibrium and non-equilibrium paradigms within ecology, respectively. The methodological dichotomy that has developed between the range and the state-and-transition models has fostered the perception that these two ecological paradigms are mutually exclusive. We challenge this perception and contend that both methodologies and their corresponding paradigms are non-exclusive. 3. Equilibrium and non-equilibrium ecosystems are not distinguished on the basis of unique processes or functions, but rather by the evaluation of system dynamics at various temporal and spatial scales. Consequently, ecosystems may express both equilibrium and non-equilibrium dynamics. This confirms early interpretations that ecosystems are distributed along a continuum from equilibrium to non-equilibrium states. 4. Although both equilibrium and non-equilibrium dynamics occur in numerous ecosystems, the empirical evidence is frequently confounded by (i) uncertainty regarding the appropriate evidence necessary to distinguish between paradigms; (ii) disproportionate responses among vegetation attributes to climate and grazing; (iii) comparisons among systems with varying degrees of managerial involvement; and (iv) the evaluation of vegetation dynamics at various spatial and temporal scales. 5. Synthesis and applications . This critique supports the conclusion that a paradigm shift has not taken place in rangeland ecology, but rather, the debate has forced a more comprehensive interpretation of vegetation dynamics along the entirety of the equilibrium‐non-equilibrium continuum. Therefore, the rangeland debate should be redirected from the dichotomy between paradigms to one of paradigm integration.

Variation in species richness: towards a unification of hypotheses

Abstract: The question, “why do areas vary in species richness?” has been important throughout the history of ecology. It is difficult to answer definitively because we have so many (at least 120) plausible hypotheses. This abundance of hypotheses has led to a number of attempts to classify them. Unfortunately, richness hypotheses often defy such categorization. Instead of placing species richness hypotheses into categories, I suggest an alternative approach: to treat species richness hypotheses as violations of the assumptions of Gause’s Competitive Exclusion Principle. This is a very similar approach to the pedagogy of population genetics: evolution occurs if and only if at least one assumption of the Hardy-Weinberg principle is violated. The classification of hypotheses advocated here treats interspecific competition as a central organizing concept in community theory. However, it does not treat competition as an organizing concept in communities: indeed, the relaxation or disruption of competition is considered to be the status quo in the majority of communities.