University of Southern Mississippi
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The Potential Future Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy Development and the Applicability of Size Limits for the Atlantic Surfclam, Spisula solidissima, Fishery in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Continental Shelf
No full textThe Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, fishery is encountering combined pressures from climate change and offshore wind energy expansion along the North American continental shelf. Utilizing the Spatially Explicit Fishery Economics Simulator (SEFES), this study evaluates the potential future impacts of offshore wind energy development and the influence of warming temperatures on the applicability of size limits for the surfclam fleet. Simulations reveal declines in landings, effort, and fishing mortality when restrictions apply within wind farm areas. In addition to spatial constraints, long-term warming trends continue to reshape the surfclam population structure, particularly by reducing the maximum attainable size in the southern portion of its range, a pattern consistent with the temperature-size rule. SEFES simulations presented in this study incorporate size structured growth dynamics and suggest that although regulatory size limits are designed to protect reproductive capacity, the selective removal of large clams has a disproportionately high impact on lifetime fecundity. Results indicate minimal influence of the current size limit regulation on fishery performance and population dynamics, questioning the limit’s continued relevance under changing climate conditions. These findings highlight the crucial need for adaptive management approaches that integrate renewable energy spatial planning with ecological forecasts of species distribution and population structure in a changing environment
Heterogeneity of Groundwater Level across a Karstic Landscape under Extreme Rainfall and Patterns of Nearshore Chlorophyll-a
No full textOne of the most active cyclone seasons in decades for the Atlantic occurred during 2020. The Yucatan Peninsula (YP) lies along the corridor of Atlantic hurricanes and experiences heavy rainfalls brought about by such hydrometeorological events. The groundwater level was inferred during this period from time series provided by NASA’s GLDAS model. The study domain encompassed geohydrologically distinctive areas in the YP, including the juxtaposition among intact water reserves, secondary vegetation, and livestock—impacted areas. The overall purpose of this research was to inspect the hydrologic cycle constraints across a mainly unconfined aquifer and undertake a sub—regional scale test of the aquifer system’s sensitivity to extreme hydrometeorological phenomena. The northern YP aquifers’ water table rose as a direct response to abundant rainfall during these hydrometeorological events. A relatively sluggish hydrologic gradient relaxation (~7 mm/day) was evident for a protected area after these storm—driven increases. By comparing the aquifers’ response to past strong hurricanes, it was hypothesized that the former system’s recovery capability to normal water levels (resilience) has been undermined. A paramount question this study aims to answer is whether the YP physiography conditions further aquifer responses to extreme rainfall events, and how they are modulated by prevalent vegetation across the karstified landscape. Peak nearshore chlorophyll—a following heavy rainfalls adjacent to an inland area featuring high sinkhole density and impacted vegetation due to cattle production as the main economic activity was discussed in terms of further implications under an increased cyclone frequency scenario and current regional development paradigms
An Assessment of the Relationship Between Stress and Glucose Levels in Medical Laboratory Science Students
No full textStress is prevalent among college students. Prolonged, unmanaged stress can affect physiological processes such as glucose metabolism. This study aimed to examine the effects of stress on glucose levels of medical laboratory science (MLS) students at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). To achieve this, the participants’ perceived stress levels and glucose levels were measured at the beginning of the semester and during finals week, a period when college students typically experience the most stress. There were nineteen MLS students that participated. Data was collected at two phases: phase 1 at the beginning of the semester and phase 2 during finals week. Each participant’s perceived stress was assessed via an 18-question survey, and glucose levels were measured via capillary sticks in both phases. The results showed that stress levels and mean glucose levels increased from phase 1 (M = 84.6, SE = 2.64) to phase 2 (M = 91.8, SE = 2.98), although the difference was not statistically significant, t (18) = -1.91, p=0.073. Correlational analyses showed a positive correlation between stress and glucose levels during phase 2. These findings align with previous research that highlights how the stress response can cause elevated cortisol output, thus altering glucose regulation and metabolism. Despite the statistical insignificance of the findings, the trends observed emphasize the impact academic stress has on students’ health. This study contributes to research that shows the effects of stress on the health of college students, emphasizing the importance of stress management programs in colleges and universities
From Heuristic Approach to Agile Mindset
Get PDFAgile learning applies agile principles to education and fits the creation of the learning content. This article discusses ways to incorporate agile learning in undergraduate programs. It investigates the adaptation of the didactic scenario that utilizes the principles of agile learning, based on a case study conducted in an undergraduate program on tourism management in a Czech university. Through the case study, a variety of ways in cognition is explored, from a heuristic approach to an agile mindset, and from a tried-and-true scheme to agile ways. Didactic scenarios of content creation scheme are designed, visualized, and compared. Promising results are achieved, while affirming some key concepts. The designed didactic scenario was found to foster student development from raising their interest to mastering desirable skills, combining emotional and learning growth. The benefits and limitations are discussed. In essence, agility can be understood as a philosophy or mindset that emphasizes continuous improvement. Agile principles can be effectively applied to education that benefits students in learning and development
The Effects of a River Closure on a Snook (Centropomus spp.) Nursery Community in the Rio Grande River, Texas
Get PDFSnook (Centropomus spp.) support important fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and populations are increasing in Texas. However, a primary snook nursery, the Rio Grande River, remains one of the most imperiled rivers in North America. In 2001—2002, low flows led to the formation of a sandbar and the complete blockage of the Rio Grande, eliminating exchange with coastal waters. Here, data collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department were used to determine how the Rio Grande closure affected juvenile and subadult snook and the estuarine community. Seine and trawl samples were collected prior to (1992—1997) and during (2001—2002) the closure. Snook size, seasonality and distribution were assessed. Additionally, multivariate analyses were used to describe community composition before and during the Rio Grande closure. Juvenile and subadult abundance was high and snook were observed year—round, suggesting that the Rio Grande functions as an important nursery. River mile (i.e., distance in miles from the mouth of the river) had a significant effect on snook abundance, with snook preferring upstream portions of the river with low salinity. Fish/invertebrate community results highlighted shifts in assemblage with decreased species richness and increased community dominance during the river closure, as well as decreases in abundance of species like white shrimp. Although snook persisted in the Rio Grande during the closure, community—wide impacts were observed and potentially impacted snook indirectly. As south Texas becomes more arid, managers may need to consider the likelihood of similar events affecting important sport fish like snook in the future
2026 Magnolia Book Award Nominations
No full texthttps://aquila.usm.edu/magnolia_book_awards/1011/thumbnail.jp
New Observations of Common Snook, Centropomus undecimalis, in Mississippi Coastal Waters, with a Summary of Local Records
Get PDFSupplementation of Magnesium Glycinate: Testing the Acute Effects of Magnesium Glycinate on the Stress Levels of College Students
Get PDFhe usage of supplements and vitamins to increase health has become a common practice in the United States. However, the true effects are not always well-known and can differ across brands, population, and other factors. In college, many students are functioning in high stress conditions, and some may result to going on anti-anxiety or depression medications. To see if Magnesium supplementation could be a potential first step in improving the stress levels present in the student population, the effects of Mg were studied in a population of 10 participants. Participant data was studied in both an Mg and placebo condition to determine if a singular dose of Mg could impact the students’ stress levels. Overall, this study found that there is no correlation to demonstrate that Mg can impact stress in conditions related to stress scale tests, physiological measures, or other dependent variables used within this analysis
Assessing the Accuracy and Precision of Crime Scene Measurements Obtained from Apple LiDAR Scans
No full textWhile terrestrial LiDAR scanners are increasingly used by law enforcement agencies to document crime scenes, newer iPhone and iPad Pro devices possess a small LiDAR sensor that can perform similar tasks. Our research attempts to assess and compare the accuracy and precision of crime scene measurements collected from Recon‑3D and SiteScape on an iPhone 13 Pro Max against a FARO Focus S 350 as the control. Our experiment was conducted in a well-lit indoor mock crime scene measuring approximately 8.4 m x 11.8 m containing 41 labeled points. Each method was used to scan the scene three times, resulting in triplicates of 820 measurements that range from 0 to 15 m. While the SiteScape datasets underwent automatic and manual registration, the Recon‑3D datasets were processed with and without target detection, resulting in four tested methods. Recon‑3D with target detection showed the smallest random error with a mean (SD) of 1.53 (1.11) cm and the smallest systematic error at −0.72 (1.39) cm. Conversely, without target detection, Recon‑3D showed a significantly greater random error at 2.19 (1.26) cm and the greatest systematic error at −9.33 (6.35) cm. In other words, for Recon‑3D, target detection significantly increases both accuracy and precision and should always be used when possible. Our analysis showed that regardless of distance, the error of an individual measurement collected using Recon‑3D with target detection should fall between −7.04 and 5.02 cm. The automatically registered SiteScape dataset showed the greatest random error at 3.81 (2.36) cm and a reasonable systematic error at −2.32 (3.53) cm. In comparison, when manually registered, the SiteScape dataset showed a lower random error at 3.15 (1.82) cm but a greater systematic error at −4.56 (3.76) cm. In other words, manually registering the SiteScape dataset slightly increases precision but decreases accuracy. Given this minimal improvement, manual registration undermines SiteScape’s practicality and time efficiency, which are its key advantages over Recon‑3D. Therefore, automatic registration is recommended. Overall, compared to SiteScape, Recon‑3D can collect crime scene measurements with higher precision and accuracy and should be the method of choice when time and resources permit. Future research should include more replicates with varying scene sizes and without labels. Additionally, Apple LiDAR should be compared against other mobile LiDAR scanners
