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The impact of land use types on pollinator communities in upland oak forests
No full textThis research investigates how land use types influence pollinator communities in upland oak forests, focusing on bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). The study has four objectives: (1) compare bee species richness and abundance across four land use types; hardwood, pine/mixed pine, open fields/agricultural areas, and scattered hardwood; (2) test whether bee community composition differs among these land uses; (3) assess how land use shapes diversity of both common and rare bee species; and (4) investigate the reproductive output of cavity-nesting communities in upland oak forests. Together, these aims provide a comprehensive understanding of how land use practices affect wild bee communities in upland oak forests. These findings will inform pollinator conservation, resource management, and sustainable land use strategies, supporting biodiversity and long-term ecosystem resilience
Impacts of upgrading GCC on the SRTuner compiler autotuning algorithm
No full textAn often-overlooked research gap is the applicability of research over time. The impact of updating the GNU Compiler Collection version was investigated for the SRTuner compiler optimization research. Versions 7 through 14 were tested using documented flags and recommended flag dependencies. Quality controls measured and enforced consistency across test runs and benchmarks. The performance of SRTuner was compared to a random control while the impact of enforcing flag dependencies was evaluated. The most influential flags were investigated by turning them off in isolation, but results were mixed. It was determined that enforcing flag dependencies resulted in improved performance, but the SRTuner algorithm could not outperform a random control, indicating that more attention was needed. Three of the tested benchmarks failed to compile for less than 0.5% of flag selections, and one benchmark was completely unsupported by the most recent compiler version
Equity by design: A North Glenn High School equitable practices policy guide
No full textThis capstone project addresses equity gaps in dual enrollment programs in Mississippi, with a focus on North Glenn High School, a pseudonym for a high-poverty rural school. While dual credit opportunities have expanded statewide, disparities remain for first-generation, low-income, and minority students. A significant barrier is Mississippi’s reliance on ACT benchmarks for eligibility, which disproportionately excludes marginalized groups. The study examines the potential of the Pre-ACT in grades 9 and 10 as an early diagnostic tool to identify readiness gaps and inform targeted interventions before students take the ACT. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the Dual Enrollment Equity Pathways (DEEP) framework, the project emphasizes proactive advising, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven practices to expand access (Fink et. Al. 2023). A mixed-methods approach, including literature analysis, student data, and local policy review, informs the development of the North Glenn Equitable Practices Policy Guide. The guide provides actionable recommendations for ACT readiness, equitable advisement, transparent communication, and family engagement. By integrating theory with practical strategies, this project aims to bridge participation gaps and develop a sustainable, equity-focused dual enrollment model that increases college access and success for underrepresented students
Small area estimation methods for county-level forest biomass estimation
No full textWe evaluated small area estimation (SAE) methods for county-level forest biomass across four Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) regions in the contiguous United States using the coefficient of variation and relative root mean squared error. The Standard Fay–Herriot (FH) model was compared with multivariate, spatial, and measurement-error extensions, while the unit-level Battese–Harter–Fuller (BHF) model was compared with mixed-effects random forests (MERF) with auxiliary data from remote sensing. Spatial FH improved precision when spatial dependence was strong; otherwise, Standard FH was more reliable. All FH models were effective with fewer than 100 plots. Measurement-Error FH produced more accurate estimates than FIA county means, on average. Multivariate FH improved estimation of coarse woody debris in its bivariate form, but yielded unstable errors when volume was added. MERF outperformed BHF in most regions. Overall, an effective SAE method for biomass depends on data structure, quality, and objectives
Simulating maize growth and yield for current and future conditions in Mississippi
No full textMaize (Zea mays L.) productivity in U.S is increasingly vulnerable to climate variability and resource inefficiencies. In Mississippi, limited cultivar-specific modeling hinders resilient production, threatening yield stability and long-term food and economic security. This study calibrated and validated the CERES-Maize model for two hybrids (DK 70-27 and DK 70-45) using 2024-2025 field data from North Farm, Starkville, MS, and MAFES trials. Genetic coefficients were estimated via GENCALC and GLUE, and model performance was evaluated using R2, RMSE, MBE, and d-index. Results showed high model accuracy (above 0.9 R2 and 0.9 d-index), highlighting its potential as a robust tool for enhancing decision-making in crop management. Simulations under RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 (2026 – 2100) showed stable yields under RCP 2.6, while RCP 8.5 led to accelerated growth and increased crop failure risk. These findings support cultivar-specific modeling for climate resilient maize production in Mississippi
Rural School Redesign: Enacting Care and Mutuality Through Responsive Professional Development
No full textOne of the challenges that rural schools face is a lack of school change models developed from a rural standpoint that position schools and their organizational improvement as a critical component of rural community development policy. This case study of the Rural Aspirations Project draws on an evaluation of their decade of work with 18 small and rural schools in Maine to provide curriculum support and responsive professional development. Positioning their work as a revelatory case, this article explores the organization’s embodiment of a central component of care theory—mutuality—and the ways in which this principle enabled ecologies of care between school leaders, teachers, students and their communities as they enacted rural school design to subvert the modern school model and better inflect education around the needs of rural communities. The study draws on 20 interviews with school leaders, teachers, and community partners to understand the ways in which the design-centered approach to working with school staff (a) subverted the effects of rural school leadership turnover, (b) created new possibilities for codesigning community vitality, and (c) centered youth futures in rural places as an achievable reality. The study demonstrates a model of critical rural hope, achieved through mutuality and care, and presents a counternarrative to discourses of rural decline and school closure
The Impact of Soybean Genotypes on Rhizosphere Microbial Dynamics and Nodulation Efficiency
No full textRhizosphere microbiome exerts a significant role in plant health, influencing nutrient availability, disease resistance, and overall plant growth. Establishing a robust and efficient nodulation process is essential for optimal nitrogen fixation in legumes like soybeans. Different soybean genotypes exhibit variations in their rhizosphere microbiome, potentially impacting nitrogen fixation through nodulation. However, a detailed understanding of how specific soybean genotypes influence rhizosphere microbial communities and nodulation patterns remains limited. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between rhizosphere microbial abundance and plant growth in four soybean genotypes. We evaluated plant growth parameters, including biomass, leaf area, and stomatal conductance, and identified significant genotypic differences in nodulation. Specifically, genotypes PI 458505 and PI 603490 exhibited high levels of nodulation, while PI 605839A and PI 548400 displayed low nodulation. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed diverse bacterial communities in the rhizosphere, with Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum. High-nodulation genotypes harbored more diverse microbial communities enriched with Actinobacteria and Acidobacteriota, while low-nodulation genotypes showed higher abundances of Firmicutes and Planctomycetota. Alpha and beta diversity analyses confirmed distinct microbial community structures between high- and low-nodulation groups. Our findings suggest that the rhizosphere microbiome significantly influences soybean growth and nodulation, highlighting the potential for genotype-driven strategies to enhance plant-microbe interactions and improve soybean productivity
A Review of U.S. Education Policy on Integrating Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning
No full textCurrent calls to integrate science and mathematics in PK-16 education build on decades of prior initiatives, yet the United States still lacks consensus on what integration entails and consistent policies to support it. This study systematically reviews current U.S. policies to identify guidance on the preparation of teachers to integrate science and mathematics. Given that teacher preparation is inherently connected to PK-12 policy, we also review PK-12 policy guidance focused on dual or integrated teacher endorsements, school designations, and PK-12 science and mathematics learning standards. Drawing on an established framework that defines meaningful integration as authentic problem solving supported by the use of multiple STEM disciplines, we examine the degree to which current policies enable such practice. Our findings reveal recommendations for integrating science and mathematics, yet policies overwhelmingly reinforce a siloed approach. We argue that misalignment between teacher preparation policy and PK-12 policy creates a circular problem: teachers cannot be expected to implement integrated science and mathematics instruction without adequate preparation, yet preparation programs have little incentive to design coursework for an instructional approach not systematically supported in PK-12 settings. Clarifying and aligning these policies is therefore essential for advancing coherent, scalable integration across the PK-16 system
Using Electronic Medical Records to Estimate the Prevalence of Pediatric Obesity in Mississippi
No full textBackground: Pediatric obesity is a major public health concern in Mississippi. However, existing surveillance systems, including the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, National Survey of Children\u27s Health, and Child and Youth Prevalence of Obesity Survey, are limited by self-reported data, restricted age ranges, and incomplete subgroup coverage.
Purpose: This study evaluates the plausibility of using electronic medical records to improve population-level surveillance of pediatric obesity in Mississippi while addressing issues of data completeness, bias, and representativeness.
Methods: Electronic medical records from 40,215 patients aged 2–19 years who received care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (2013–2022) were analyzed via multilevel regression to generate pediatric obesity prevalence estimates overall and by age, sex, and race/ethnicity for the medical center and the broader Mississippi population. Missing values were managed using multiple imputation by chained equations, and inverse probability weighting addressed ascertainment bias. Results were compared with existing surveillance systems.
Results: The estimated Mississippi obesity prevalence ranged from 20.0% to 21.3% across years, with higher estimates among non-Hispanic Black youth and older age groups. Estimates aligned closely with existing surveillance systems.
Conclusions: Electronic medical record–based surveillance produced plausible, detailed obesity prevalence estimates for Mississippi, complementing existing systems and providing timely data across the pediatric age range
Mississippi State University Libraries Academic Promotion and Tenure Policies
Get PDFRecruitment and retention of faculty to carry out Mississippi State University\u27s (hereafter referred to as the University) mission rest on known, consistent standards that reward superior performance and that provide incentives for all faculty members to reach higher performance levels. Therefore, the establishment of standards and policies governing tenure, promotion and annual performance reviews is imperative. All faculty members will have the opportunity to participate in both the establishment and revision of tenure and promotion criteria, policies and procedures. The promotion and tenure documents will be made available to all current and prospective faculty members. The policies and procedures set forth in this document apply only to library faculty. The objective of this document is to state criteria and procedures for appointment, promotion in academic rank, and tenure consistent with the goals and resources of the University