Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of A Modified Hospital Elder Life Program On Delirium, Ashley Okray

SIU Journal of Medical Science Scholarly Works

Background: Delirium, an acute state of fluctuating inattention and cognitive impairment, is prevalent among hospitalized older adults and associated with longer hospital stays, increased mortality, and significant healthcare costs. The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) was developed to reduce delirium through interventions addressing common risk factors. Although HELP has proven effective, many hospitals face challenges in implementing the program, leading to modified versions. This review examines recent studies using modified HELP to assess their impact on delirium prevention.

Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify studies from the last ten years that implemented modified HELP programs. Relevant studies …

Intermittent Fasting: Effectiveness In Lowering Bmi Of Postmenopausal Women, Becky Hanna

SIU Journal of Medical Science Scholarly Works

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the intervention of an intermittent fasting diet in postmenopausal women with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m² in comparison with a nonintervention diet for lowering BMI.

Method: A literature search was performed utilizing PubMed. Keywords such as intermittent fasting, fasting, obesity, weight loss, time-restricted feeding, postmenopausal, and menopause were used in the search. The search was limited to free full articles with dates of 2019-2024. A few combinations of terms were used to focus the results of the search. Articles examining exercise plus intermittent fasting as …

Racial Justice And The Image Of Public Health, Marilyn Fischer

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Feminist Necropoetics: The Female Corpse In Oda Sa Wala (2018), Farrah Freibert

Publications

This article explores how Dwein Baltazar’s Oda sa Wala (2018) cultivates themes of collectivity across the life-death divide.

Study Of Global Panel Of Soybean Accessions For Nitrogen Use Efficiency Using Association Mapping, Rita Bhandari

Theses

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is a leguminous crop valued for its high protein, oil content, and other essential nutrients. Global production has significantly increased, with Brazil, the United States, and Argentina being the leading producers. In the U.S., Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota rank as the top soybean-producing states. Nitrogen (N) is a predominant nutrient required for optimal soybean growth and productivity, particularly in high-yielding varieties. While biological nitrogen fixation and soil mineral N supply part of the plant’s N requirement, synthetic fertilizers are commonly used to meet the remaining demand. However, only 30–50% of applied N is taken up …

Evaluation Of Otolith Microchemistry For Identifying Walleye Stocked As Fry Or Fingerlings, Joshua Fluur

Theses

Walleye (Sander vitreus) is a popular sport fish whose populations are often supported by maintenance or supplemental stocking, with most fish stocked as fry, fingerlings, or advanced fingerlings. Evaluation of stocking efficacy is important to inform decisions regarding fish stocking rates and sizes and allocating hatchery fish to locations where maintenance or supplemental stocking is most needed. Several types of artificial tags or marks have been proven useful in the identification of stocked fish, but they often have various drawbacks. Natural chemical markers in otoliths offer several advantages compared to conventional tags or marks and can be used to identify …

Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Equitable Post Disaster Resource Allocation Incorporating Social Vulnerability, Trevor John Mogaka

Theses

Prior Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approaches frame post‑disaster recovery as a sequential decision-making problem over infrastructure elements, using graph-based system models and resilience-oriented rewards. This thesis builds on an existing DRL framework by introducing a modified CDC Social Vulnerability Index (mCDC-SVI), developed using Max-min scaling, to quantify social vulnerability.A synthetic interdependent infrastructure testbed is divided into four socio‑economic regions using federal poverty and SNAP eligibility guidelines. The DRL simulation and Deep Q‑Network architecture are retrained under a multi-objective reward function that is efficiency-equity weighted (α:β). Agents are evaluated across unconstrained and constrained budget scenarios to examine how varying α and …

A Sharper, Stronger Reality: Rememory In Octavia Butler's Kindred, Rachael E. Vargas

Research Papers

This research paper applies epigenetic research and Toni Morrison’s concept of “rememory” to analyze Octavia Butler’s novel, Kindred. This research demonstrates that, through the use of rememory, form, and genre, Butler creates an allegory for epigenetic trauma inheritance within the novel. Dana’s experiences of physical injury disablement serve to exemplify one of the many lived aftermaths of American Chattel Slavery experienced by DACS.

Ot In Maternal Health, Leslie M. Baker

OTD Capstone Projects

Many organizations that serve the care of pregnant and postpartum women have identified unmet client need specific to the health and well-being of new mothers, which occupational therapy (OT) has the potential to address, through health promotion and well-being initiatives that focus on the prevention of barriers to participation, specific to the co-occupation of motherhood.  While in an emerging practice area, the inclusion of Occupational Therapy (OT) is well positioned to address the physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs of new mothers. Through the creation of educational programming, this doctoral capstone project supported from an occupational therapy perspective, the development of …

Surgical Removal Of Visceral Adipose Tissue Has Therapeutic Benefit In Male Appnl-F Mice, Samuel A. Mcfadden, Yimin Fang, Kathleen Quinn, Mackenzie R. Peck, Jenelle E. Chapman, Tiarra Hill, Andrzej Bartke, Erin R. Hascup, Kevin Hascup

Articles

Purpose:  Visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) accumulation causes systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and senescent cell accumulation that are risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Visceral fat removal (VFR) improves metabolism and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines.  We hypothesized that VFR removal in AD mice would improve metabolism and cognition.

Methods:  Male and female APP^NL-F mice underwent sham or vWAT surgical resection (periovarian or epididymal and perirenal) at 4 (pre-symptomatic) and 16 (symptomatic) months of age to understand interventional and therapeutic effects, respectively.  At 18 months of age, glucose metabolism and novel object recognition (NOR) memory were assayed followed by …

The Nature Philosophy Of John Dewey, John R. Shook

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Occupational Therapy For Perinatal Mothers In Rural Community Practice: Development & Implementation Of Educational Modules, Hannah M. Johnson

OTD Capstone Projects

There are significant gaps in maternal healthcare in rural communities in Illinois where only 65.4% of pregnant people live within 30 minutes of a hospital that provides maternity care (State of Illinois, 2025). Pregnant and postpartum individuals in the region are inadequately supported during their transition to motherhood within the current healthcare system. This capstone project aimed to serve women in Southern Illinois during the perinatal period through occupational therapy-based and trauma-informed educational content. The project was conducted at The Little Resource Center, a parenting and family support center in Carbondale, under the guidance of their staff. Three educational modules, …

Hydrostatic Weighing Without Head Submersion Study, Tyler Sherrill

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Exercise Rehabilitation And Functional Capacity In An Older Adult Cancer Survivor, Ibsaa G. Benti

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Exploring Predictors Of School Lunch Completion: Taste, Time, And Student Preferences, Bhanoday Boda

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

School Attendance In Southern Illinois: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Trends And Implications, Mary Beth Goff

Ed.D. Capstone Reports

The purpose of the study was to examine the demographic data reported on the Illinois School Report Card within the four southernmost Regional Offices of Education to determine the rates of chronic absenteeism. Following the identification of chronic absenteeism numbers, this study sought to analyze the relationships between subgroups to determine correlations within data sets. In order to develop an understanding of potential interventions, interviews were conducted with districts that were both successfully addressing absenteeism and those not experiencing success within each of the Regional Offices of Education. The findings of the study aim to contribute insights for educators and …

Exploring Denitrification In Wetland Nitrogen Cycling And Biostimulant-Based Agricultural Strategies To Improve Ecosystem Health, Alexander Bechtel

Theses

The overuse of fertilizers has doubled the amount of reactive nitrogen in the environment. Agricultural runoff then carries these pollutants into the waterways eventually causing severe ecological damage such as the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. Nitrogen plays an important role in all life on this planet, here we describe two complementary projects that investigate ways to mitigate nitrogen pollution. The first project investigates denitrification rates in soil after the Len Small Levee breached in 2016 which reconnected the Dogtooth Bend Floodplain with the Mississippi briefly. The denitrification process that began in the hydrologically activated soils was hypothesized to be …

Relationship Between Semi-Aquatic Mammal Occupancy And Particulate Carbon, Nitrogen, And Phosphorus Dynamics In Freshwater Ecosystems, Madison H. Stokoski

Theses

Semi-aquatic mammals such as beavers (Castor canadensis) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) can influence carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) dynamics in freshwater systems. While the effect of beavers, in particular, are typically attributed to their dam and lodge building behaviors, these animals do not always build these structures. It’s possible that other, non-damming behaviors (e.g. foraging and burrowing) may influence the availability of nutrients as well. To assess this possibility, we surveyed 54 lentic and lotic waterbodies across Southern Illinois and investigated the possibility that beaver and muskrat occupancy improved our ability to explain variation in nutrient availability across …

Effect Of Water-Deficit Stress On Cannabis Sativa Production And Secondary Metabolite Levels, Shiksha Sharma

Theses

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is an emerging high-value crop that belongs to the Cannabaceae family and the genus Cannabis, which is known to produce more than 200 cannabinoids. Although genetic variation is the main factor in cannabinoid production, water-deficit stress is believed to induce its production. The objective of this master’s thesis was to determine the effects of water-deficit stress frequencies and timing on growth, physiology, yield, and cannabinoid concentration in cannabis. Heidi cultivars were planted in a controlled environmental growth unit. One period of water-deficit stress was found to produce the lowest concentration of total CBD and THC. In …

Data For Fermentation Research Guide Analysis, Laura Guengerich

Morris Library Data Sets

No abstract provided.

Exploring Effective Weight Loss Interventions Among Three Fqhc-Based Clinical Programs In Central And Southern Illinois, Patrick Bruch, Oluwaseun Adeleke, Mia Lambert, Taylor Sutton, Georgia Luckey, Rebecca M. Hoffman Md,Msph

SIU Journal of Medical Science Scholarly Works

Background: Obesity affects 1 in 3 United States adults is associated with several chronic diseases. Disparities in obesity are seen in many vulnerable populations such as low-income groups, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural residents. Although primary care is often presented as a solution to the obesity crisis, management of obesity is complex and numerous challenges in helping patients achieve weight loss are still present. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended in 2018 that primary care providers screen for obesity and offer obese patients to intensive, multicomponent behavioral obesity treatment. However, there is little research involving primary care physicians …

Connect 2 Cope: Stress And Coping Strategies Associated With University Honors Students, Anna R. Rodgers

Honors Theses

Coping and connecting are two things that college students don’t take a course in but are essential qualities they will need beyond their time in the university, in both work and life. This research sought to understand how students at Southern Illinois University, with special focus on Honors students, experience stress and view connection as a coping mechanism. It gives insights into sources of stress, including pressures that are external to university life and impact student mental health. The participants included SIUC Honors Students and SIU Non-Honors Students. I was also able to ask each group of students their perceptions …

Determinants Of Agricultural Productivity In The Leading Producing Countries Worldwide, Seidu Musah

Theses

Agricultural production is one of the widely expanded business sectors in the world. The aim of this study is to find out the driving factors behind cereal and soybean productivity as well as the production trends in the top twenty cereal and top seven soybean producing countries, respectively. Secondary data, which include both time series and cross-sectional data, were used for the analysis of 520 observations from the top twenty cereal producing countries and 427 observations from the top seven soybean producing countries.The panel data regression model was the statistical tool adopted in this study to determine the factors driving …

The Regulatory Void Of Pfas And Contaminated Sites, Irem Tekogul, David Lampert, Farzad Mohammadi, Amandeep K. Sandhu, Matthew Shapiro

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are widely used due to their unique properties. The adverse health impacts of PFAS have been available for the last two decades, but the persistence of inadequate and poorly enforced regulations has led to pervasive environmental contamination. Recent regulatory changes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency address PFAS in drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act and address PFAS in contaminated sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. However, regulatory gaps persist, particularly regarding acceptable risks from sites contaminated with thousands of PFAS. This paper …

"Getting Students Involved In School Meals": An Exploration Of Implementation Strategies By School Food Service Staff To Increase Student Participation In School Meals In Southern Illinois., Jennifer Ohene-Afrah

Research Papers

This study examines the impact of the Getting Students Involved in School Meals workshop (November 2023) on student participation in school meals among food service staff in Southern Illinois K–12 schools. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through surveys (n=20) and in-depth interviews. Participants found the workshop valuable and adopted strategies such as social media engagement, direct communication with students, and taste tests. Slight increases in Average Daily Participation (ADP) for breakfast were observed, though results varied by school size. Key barriers included personnel shortages, time constraints, and logistical challenges, especially in rural areas. Findings underscore the importance of …

Skills Development In Hydrologic Sciences For Cohorts Of Graduate Students From Morocco, Egypt, Türkiye, And Indonesia, Alan E. Fryar, Adam M. Milewski, Carmen T. Agouridis, Carol D. Hanley, Paul A. Schroeder, Mohamed Sultan, James W. Ward, Nour-Eddie Laftouhi, Nora H. Pandjaitan, Racha El Kadiri, Lahcen Benaabidate, Ahmed Fekri, Agus Suharyanto, Koray K. Yilmaz

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

In developing countries in Africa and Asia, meeting challenges of water scarcity and pollution has often been hampered by shortcomings in higher education, including insufficient research productivity and funding, lack of opportunity for university graduates, and a mismatch between university activities and societal needs. To address these issues, we developed novel programs integrating technical instruction and preparation for professional practice in hydrology for cohorts of graduate students from Morocco and Egypt (2012–2013) and from Türkiye and Indonesia (2013–2014). Students participated in an initial online course and a follow-up workshop featuring geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and hydrologic modeling with …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Somatic Symptoms, And Athletic Injury Among Collegiate Student-Athletes, Samuel Aswegan

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Probiotic Supplementation In Ruminants: A Sustainable Alternative For Enhancing Health, Milk Production, And Rumen Function, Jovahna Williams

Research Papers

This paper examines the effects of probiotic supplementation on ruminant animals, with emphasis on several key areas including ruminant animal health, milk production, rumen microbial profile, microbial protein synthesis and diversity, and patterns of rumen fermentation. As global interest in economically and biologically sustainable alternatives to antibiotics continues to grow, probiotics have emerged as promising candidates for improving livestock productivity while promoting animal and consumer welfare.

The primary objectives of this paper are to evaluate the specific effects and benefits of different probiotic strains in ruminants, to assess their potential as replacements for traditional growth-promoting substances such as fermentation enhancers …

U.S. Bison Industry: An Analysis Of Production, Health, And Market Dynamics, Morgan A. Young

Research Papers

The bison market has been becoming increasingly popular within recent years. However, this market is challenging for producers due to disease concerns, aggressive bison behaviors, nutritional and facility requirements and market risks for bison operations. Since most bison data began in 2020, forecasting bison meat prices remains difficult. This raises an important question: can bison meat cut prices be effectively hedged by using live cattle futures prices? This paper examines USDA bison meat cut price data and live cattle futures prices to determine potential correlations. A regression analysis, along with a dummy variable approach is utilized to evaluate the relationship. …

Examining The Prevalence Of Food Insecurity Among Division 1 Collegiate Athletes, Amna Osman

Research Papers

No abstract provided.