Relationship between driving while impaired and riding with an impaired driver among adolescents in the United States

Background: Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD) and sexual risk-taking are contributors to the health and welfare of adolescents and a significant percentage engage in these behaviors. These behaviors may contribute to other risk-taking such as driving while impaired (DWI) or riding with an impaired driver (RWI). The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between DWI and RWI and ATOD use, sexual risk-taking, and physical fighting among adolescents. Methods: Date for this study were derived from the 2017, 2019, 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) (n = 45,132). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between DWI and RWI and ATOD use, sexual risk-taking, and physical violence. Results: Heavy smoking, binge drinking, prescription pain medication without a prescription, sexual intercourse with four or more people, and being in a fight on school property were associated with DWI. Binge drinking, prescription pain medication without a prescription, alcohol or drug use before last sexual intercourse, and being in a fight in or out of school were associated with RWI. Conclusions: The results seem to suggest that risk behaviors are intertwined with DWI and RWI. There may be a combined effect of engaging in one risk behavior, influencing engagement in other risk behaviors. This article was published Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The article was first published in the Journal of Substance Use: https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2024.238927

Furthering Ascidian Taxonomy Using Molecular Biology

Ascidians are our closest invertebrate relatives and comprise nearly 3,000 species separated into three orders: Aplousobranchia (most speciose), Stolidobranchia, and Phlebobranchia (least speciose). Ascidians can be classified as either solitary or colonial organisms. Species delimitation using morphological characters alone has had varied results. Well known, widely distributed, morphological species have turned out to be catch all species comprised of several cryptic species. Molecular markers can help mitigate some of the issues presented by strictly using morphological observations, including resolving the status of cryptic species, and accessing the expert knowledge required to identify a species. By incorporating molecular markers and pairing them with morphological observations, more species may be correctly identified by the scientific community. This project focuses on comparing the utility of the molecular markers mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (mtCO1) and 18S rRNA, both commonly used to barcode marine invertebrates, in terms of successfully delimitated species within families. Members of the ascidian families Ascidiidae, Pyuridae, and Styelidae were collected from Belize in July 2022 and July 2023 and were sequenced for CO1 and 18S and identified using morphological techniques. Additional sequences were obtained from GenBank. Species delimitation methods used for this project include Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) and Bayesian Poisson Tree Process (bPTP). Morphological identifications tended to line up well when using CO1 with ASAP while 18S and ASAP lumped species together. bPTP tended to split species relative to morphological identifications for both genes. Future work includes implementation of the Bayesian input of bPTP into this analysis to see how it compares alongside ASAP. In addition to this, morphological identification of the Belizean samples down to the species level will also be completed

Variability in Nutrient Concentrations Across Regions of the Winyah Bay River Plume

River plumes are one of the few large-scale features responsible for transporting particulates and terrigenous materials to coastal oceans. Macro-nutrients, such as dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (PO43-), are basic requirements for marine food webs. Due to the plumes’ ability to transport large quantities of these constituents, these systems contribute heavily to coastal productivity. This study focuses on the dynamics of the Winyah Bay river plume located in Georgetown, South Carolina. River plumes, including the Winyah Bay plume, are dynamic systems whose structures are comprised of a multitude of regions and features including the source, lift off, near-field, mid-field, and far-field regions, and plume fronts. Prior studies have focused on the physical dynamics of the Winyah Bay plume regions and features but have not yet examined the nutrient dynamics of this system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the distribution of DIN and phosphate through the different regions of the Winyah Bay plume. Four characteristics (salinity, temperature, plume depth, and Froude number) were used to characterize plume regions using multiple linear regression, and no correlations between the nutrient concentrations and the plume region characteristics were identified. The limited size of the data set may have contributed to the lack of statistical significance. At the plume fronts, however, there was significant accumulation of nutrients on the estuarine side indicating these are important structures contributing to coastal productivity. Despite the limitations of a small sample size and intensive sampling techniques, this study provides a starting point for future research into the nutrient dynamics of the Winyah Bay river plume and its impact on coastal productivity

PERCEPTIONS OF LOW-INCOME PARENTS ON KINDERGARTEN READINESS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

There is a significant amount of research documenting the importance of school readiness and its implication for life-long consequences (Jarrett & Coba-Rodriguez, 2017, 2018; Kang et al., 2017; Malsch et al., 2011). Parents play a critical role in supporting the acquisition of all skills needed to prepare children for school readiness. Readiness refers to being prepared with the necessary skills to access learning (Saracho, 2023). The purpose of this study is to explore the practices and perceptions of low-income parents on kindergarten readiness skills in the Hollywood School District (HSD) as measured by the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). Students in HSD enter kindergarten demonstrating readiness at a rate lower than other students in the state of South Carolina (SC Education Oversight Committee). Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with parents of kindergarten students who scored demonstrating readiness on the KRA in a high-poverty, rural school district to gather data on lived experiences with preparing children to start school and their perceptions of readiness. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed themes of parents’ perceptions of readiness and practices. The anti-deficit achievement framework (S. R. Harper, 2010, 2012) served as the basis for developing the research and interview questions from an asset or strengths-based mindset instead of a mindset that focused on what was lacking. Findings indicated how parents successfully prepared their children for kindergarten, their expectations of prekindergarten education, and their misconceptions and perceptions of school readines

Factors that Contribute to Challenging Behaviors with Early Childhood Students

There has been an increasing number of students being referred to mental health services due to behavioral problems they exhibit at school. Behavioral and social concerns impede academic success for the individual child as well as their classroom peers. Many factors can contribute to challenging behaviors in early childhood students within rural and high-poverty communities, an elementary school in the South-Atlantic region of the United States is experiencing some of those factors. The purpose of this qualitative research study is to investigate some of the possible factors which contribute to challenging behaviors and how those factors impact academic achievement. The goal is to provide resources to aid educators and parents with suggested solutions. This is a significant topic because it will contribute to education by facilitating improvements and gaining more knowledge of children with behavioral and mental health concerns

Celebrity Politics in the American South: The Case of Ben “Cooter” Jones

Celebrities get involved in American politics as activists and candidates for office. The literature suggests that celebrities have many advantages over traditional political candidates. However, the case of Ben Jones, “Cooter” from The Dukes of Hazzard, suggests that fame is not enough to win elections. The political environment is the decisive factor in determining whether a celebrity candidate wins or loses an election. The South’s realignment from Democrat to Republican made it difficult for Democrat Ben Jones to succeed in a changing South. Like other celebrities that lost the fundraising battle Jones lost several bids for office. Celebrities, like Fred Grandy, that win the fundraising battle have a higher chance of electoral success

Characterizing Groundwater Flow Across the Barrier Island-High Marsh Interface

The freshwater resources of barrier islands are influenced by a variety of hydrogeologic factors, which create unique regions of groundwater composition. Factors including evapotranspiration, geologic constraints, tidal forcing, and meteoric inputs influence subterranean flow creating a groundwater salinity gradient throughout the island-marsh setting which directly influences the spatial distribution of dominant vegetation on the island. Rising sea levels and variation in local climate may alter the hydrologic balance on barrier islands, potentially shifting salinity gradients and ecological baselines on short timescales. The intrusion of saltwater into the barrier island freshwater system could result in the shifting of ecotones and potential destabilization of barrier sediments. Over three years, multiple methods were adopted to characterize the groundwaters of Waties Island, a barrier island located in northeastern South Carolina. Three study transects located on the sound side of the island encompassed the ecological shift between maritime forest and salt marsh. Shallow groundwater monitoring wells were installed along the transects to observe mixing between fresh island-derived groundwaters and more saline groundwaters from the estuary. Water table elevation, temperature, and salinity measurements were recorded at 20-minute intervals over an 11-month period (n = 24,332). Modal analysis of the data revealed tidal and meteorological drivers of groundwater level across the transect. Twenty-nine time-series electrical resistivity (ER) surveys along the transition from forest to marsh revealed horizontal mixing of groundwater within highly permeable sediment layers. Geologic analyses of sediments along the transition elucidated a geologic framework with distinct zones of permeability bounded by impermeable muddy sediment layers. The primary movement and transport of porewaters from the island into the marsh platform was determined to be horizontal with sandy overwash and erosional fans serving as conduits. No tidal signal influence was observed within the surficial aquifer in the maritime forest, however at the forest-high marsh boundary, precipitation was the principal driver of subterranean flow with spring and storm tides periodically raising the water table and reversing flow towards the island. Within the low marsh, groundwater elevation and flow direction was directly linked to the tidal stage of Dunn Sound. The results presented here highlight the dynamic nature of shallow hydrogeologic interactions between barrier islands and back-barrier environments with implications for shifting ecological baselines, understanding the subterranean estuary of biogeochemical reactions, and determining barrier island stability in an uncertain climatic future

Science or Pseudoscience? Theory or Conspiracy Theory? Critical Thinking in Practice

In Coastal Carolina University\u27s Honors Program, students are offered numerous variations of the seminar Critical Methods of Inquiry (HONR 105). The course was originally designed as an introduction to the Paul-Elder Model of Critical Thinking that students could apply to other coursework and to their Honors thesis. But as the Honors Program developed, its faculty have augmented the course with themes that correspond to their own areas of expertise: e.g., rhetoric, contemporary social issues, critical theory, and pseudoscience. In the fall of 2021, students in Pseudoscience courses started creating this open educational resource (OER), which has been built upon by subsequent classes. Our intention is to create a free textbook for this course that might also be used by students of critical thinking elsewhere and of all ages, whether in a classroom or not. Our growing, interactive textbook employs the Paul-Elder Model and other critical-thinking resources, and is freely available to all, learners and educators alike. The topic of pseudoscience offers a rewarding way for students to learn the value of thinking critically, even as they get to argue things, like Flat Earth Theory and astrology, that may seem trivial at first. At a time when truth is understood as largely subjective, we have, not surprisingly, seen a resurgence in the popularity of pseudosciences and conspiracy theories, which many consider to hold significant truth value, just as valid as physical evidence. It is our aim here to demonstrate the reasoned analysis process — weighing truth, belief, opinion, and fact — so that others may be able to replicate this process and reason through their own questions about vaccines, extra-terrestrials, genetic modification, or the first people to arrive in the Americas.https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/oer-course/1007/thumbnail.jp

Coastal flood risk in the context of climate change and urbanization in northeastern South Carolina

Researchers and the public now widely recognize the seriousness of coastal flood risks. Various changes in natural processes, such as altered rainfall patterns, increased tropical cyclone intensities, and sea-level rise, are consequences of global warming induced by heightened greenhouse gas concentrations. To comprehensively understand coastal compound flooding, it is crucial to consider multiple processes and their interactions. Moreover, the growth of coastal cities and the concentration of people and assets in these areas make them increasingly vulnerable to flooding events. Accurately estimating the future flood risks faced by coastal communities necessitates addressing the compounding effects on coastal flood risk, taking into account not only natural driving factors like storms, sea-level rise, and rainfall, but also human factors, such as population and economy. This study aims to investigate the hypothesis that human factors can influence present and future coastal flooding risks as much as natural factors, and to advance the understanding of coastal compound flood hazards. A coupled modeling framework was developed to simulate coastal compound flooding, incorporating both inland river systems and coastal processes. An indicator was devised to estimate coastal flood risk that accounts for the impact of both natural processes and human activities. The results indicate that coastal compound flooding is a localized, coincidental issue, with the timing of various factors\u27 convergence playing a critical role in flood occurrence. The severity of coastal floods depends on the interaction of natural factors and their compounded effects, as well as the extent of vulnerability associated with population growth and GDP increase. In northeastern South Carolina, the interplay between sea-level rise and upstream discharge significantly intensifies compound coastal flooding, thereby exacerbating potential flood hazards in the future. Over the past 20 years, flood risk has consistently increased due to the escalating vulnerability of coastal communities to coastal floods

Professional Staff Retention in Higher Education: Making Sense of Why Advisors Stay

This qualitative study investigated staff retention in higher education by focusing on the retention of academic advisors. Academic advisors play an integral role in student success and advising is notably one of the fields in higher education with the greatest turnover. This turnover comes at great costs, financial and otherwise, for the institution. An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) was used to study how academic advisors make sense of their persistence in a high turnover field and to identify professional, personal, and institutional factors that contribute to persistence. Eleven professional staff members whose primary role is academic advising at a four-year institution with less than 15,000 students were interviewed. The sample was 60% female and 40% male: 60% white and 40% BIPOC. Interviews were analyzed using IPA to identify Personal Experiential Themes (PETs) for each participant and then Group Experiential Themes (GETs) were identified through clustering of the PETs. Four themes and eight subthemes emerged from the analysis to address the four research questions on persistence. This research contributes to the existing literature on academic advising and staff turnover and retention. It has implications for practice for new and veteran advisors and advising administrators. The study\u27s findings bring attention to the reasons professional staff in higher education persist when so many others leave the field