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Long-term Water Quality Trends in the Monongahela River Basin
Get PDFThe West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) has been monitoring water quality in the Monongahela River basin since 2009 through its Three Rivers QUEST (3RQ) initiative. This study examined 3RQ data for trends in the water quality of the Monongahela River basin. Water quality was monitored at 18 sampling locations in the Monongahela River basin with six locations on the main stem and 12 locations on main tributaries. Temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved alkalinity, dissolved sulfate (SO4), and dissolved analyte concentrations (aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), chlorine (Cl), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and sodium (Na)) were measured during 2009 to February 2023. Total dissolved solids (TDS) and acidity were also estimated. Mean daily discharge at the time of water quality sampling was recorded from a United States Geological Survey (USGS) gage when available and calculated when needed. Four nonparametric statistical tests were performed to determine if there were significant monotonic trends over time: i) Mann-Kendall trend test, ii) Mann-Kendall trend test adjusted for discharge, iii) Seasonal Kendall test, and iv) Seasonal Kendall test adjusted for discharge. Slopes of significant relationships (α = 0.1) were estimated by the Theil-Sen estimator. Of the six mainstem sampling locations, widespread decreasing trends in TDS, SO4, Cl, and Na were observed, regardless of adjusting for discharge or season; similarly, increasing trends or no trends in pH were observed at all sampling sites. Many of water quality gains are likely related to the voluntary management plan that was implemented by the coal industry. This independent monitoring through 3RQ is important to communicate the impacts as well as plan for future water management
TREATMENT UTILIZATION, PERCEIVED NEED, AND BARRIERS TO CARE AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE WITH CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND SERIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS: FINDINGS FROM THE NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE AND HEALTH
No full textObjective: Co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions (COD) remain prevalent and frequently undertreated among women of reproductive age in the United States, despite increasing recognition of their impact on maternal and child health. However, research on treatment utilization, perceived unmet needs, and barriers to care in this population remains limited. Additionally, little is known about how treatment use differs among racial-ethnic minority groups, rural populations, and pregnant women.Methods: This study was an analysis of pooled data from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to examine treatment utilization patterns and barriers to care among women aged 18-49 with a past-year co-occurring substance use disorder and serious psychological distress (N=4,308). Logistic regression models revealed sociodemographic and behavioral health factors associated with substance use, mental health, and concurrent treatment utilization, as well as perceived unmet needs and treatment barriers. Results: Among women with COD, 42% received no treatment for either condition, while 14% accessed substance use treatment, 55% accessed mental health treatment, and 11% received concurrent treatment. Racial-ethnic minority status and rural residence were significantly associated with lower odds of treatment receipt across all categories, whereas pregnant women had decreased odds of receiving substance use and concurrent treatment. Among women who reported unmet treatment needs, the most frequently cited barriers included limited access to care, affordability concerns, low perceived treatment priority, and stigma. Conclusions: Critical disparities in treatment access highlight the need for coordinated approaches to improve engagement and retention in care for women with COD. Expanding low-threshold, technology-based, and culturally-responsive integrated care models can help to address the longstanding fragmentation of care and key identified barriers. Policymakers should prioritize expanding insurance coverage, increasing funding for integrated care, and removing regulatory barriers that limit access to evidence-based treatment, particularly for pregnant women, mothers, and those in underserved areas. Future research should examine the lived experiences and long-term treatment trajectories of this population, as well as the economic impact of expanded treatment access, to inform public health and policy strategies aimed at improving care access and outcomes
Fate and Transport of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel
No full textThe Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel (SDWSC) is an important habitat for multiple species that have been declining in population in the California Delta such as delta smelt and longfin smelt. Currently, both populations are just a fraction of what their populations used to be in the 1970’s and have shown minimal signs of recovery. Multiple factors have been attributed to their decline in populations such as channelization, lack of freshwater flow, nutrient limitations, and contamination, yet in important habitat such as the SDWSC, the understanding the risk aquatic organism have to contaminant exposures is minimal. To understand what types of contaminants are present in the channel and the chemical partitioning in the environment, we analyzed 66 hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in multiple environmental matrices including total sediments, zooplankton, and suspended solids, and ran Tenax extractions on a subset of sediment samples to estimate the bioaccessibility of the sediment-associated compounds. Samples were collected from six different sites spread longitudinally across the channel. To understand the effects of ship-induced resuspension on contaminant exposures, we also collected samples at one site on the SDWSC closest to the Port of West Sacramento and sampled before and after three ships passed through the site. Turbidity measurements and total suspended solids (TSS) were collected during each sampling event. For the longitudinal sampling, no overlying significant differences in concentrations per site were observed, however the northern sites and southernmost site tended to have higher concentrations of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). 4,4’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, and chrysene were found in every sample. The highest contaminant concentrations were extracted from the suspended solids, with PAHs being the most prevalent class of compounds. Bioaccessible concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), pyrethroids, and PAHs were extracted from the sediments, showcasing a risk of contaminant uptake to aquatic organisms. The highest concentrations of four compounds extracted from the sediments exceeded sediment quality benchmarks, however despite sediments exceeding sediment quality benchmarks, the suspended solids-associated contamination were significantly higher than what was extracted in the sediments, which indicates that the water column may be more of a concern than the bed sediments. For ship traffic sampling, turbidity measurements after ship passage were significantly higher. TSS concentrations increased after ship passage, with a significant increase after the second ship. Total sediment concentrations decreased after the passage of the second ship, as well as the bioaccessible concentrations after the second or third ship, but these trends were not reproducible across the different sampling events. The inconsistencies in effect of contaminant concentrations may show that effects are ship-specific, and that the lack of overall change may show that individual ship passage contributes to the maintenance of steady state in the system. The compounding effect of frequent ship activity is more of a concern than the effects of individual ship passage
BEYOND THE HEADSTONES: A GEOPHYSICAL STUDY OF THE GARRISSON HILL CEMETERY REALOCATION.
No full textThe historical nature and documented relocations of burials at Garrison Hill Cemetery at Fort Kaskaskia Historic Site in Randolph County, Illinois, motivate this thesis\u27s exploration of the underlying composition of the cemetery. Although official records state that all human remains were relocated from the town of Old Kaskaskia to the new site, evidence suggests that some may have been left behind, raising the question of whether the remains were truly moved or if only their headstones were relocated.The study collected and analyzed geophysical data from five grids around the Garrison Hill cemetery. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data indicated subsurface anomalies associated with degraded and structured burials. Magnetometer data revealed further disturbances consistent with ferrous objects, possibly related to burial artifacts. These discoveries verified the presence of elements consistent with what is expected from a cemetery with interments, confirming that the remains were moved with the headstones. Socioeconomic and religious aspects of the cemetery\u27s organization were also analyzed using data from the geophysical study. The findings suggest that graves associated with individuals of higher social standing tend to have greater durability and archaeological visibility. This study contributes to the field of historic cemetery studies by demonstrating the utility of combining geophysical techniques and historical information to investigate historical cemeteries non-invasively. The findings improve our understanding about the past of Garrison Hill Cemetery but also contribute to showcase how to conduct similar investigations worldwide
Between My Body and the Cadaver Inside
No full textThis is a poetic manuscript detailing medical and dental trauma over a course of 13 years. This manuscript is meant to showcase healing and trauma while not denigrating the medical field, but showing the truth, but emotional and realistic
Robot Intention Recognition for Near Future Collision Avoidance.
No full textAN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OFVaka Naga Sai Rishik Reddy, for the Master of Science degree in Computer Science, Presented on March 2025, at Sothern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: Robot Intention Recognition for Near Future Collision Avoidance. MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Henry Hexmoor, Ph.D. This case study introduces a novel deep-learning approach for real-time collision avoidance in dynamic environments. Traditional models, such as RVO2, ORCA, Social-LSTM, and SocialGAN, have demonstrated limitations in multi-agent interaction prediction, real-time adaptability, and uncertainty estimation. The proposed Adaptive Intent Prediction Model (AIPM) integrates Transformers, Bayesian Inference, and Meta-Learning to overcome these challenges. AIPM leverages sensor data to predict future trajectories, estimate uncertainties, and dynamically adapt to agent behaviors. Through comparative evaluation against traditional methods, AIPM demonstrates superior prediction accuracy, collision avoidance capabilities, and computational efficiency. This study provides a structured implementation of AIPM along with dataset preprocessing, model training, and evaluation methodologies. The findings highlight AIPM’s potential for enhancing autonomous robot and vehicle safety in real-world scenarios
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.
Get PDFThis 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 adaptable strategies, policy support, and resource allocation to overcome systemic obstacles. Enhanced stakeholder collaboration and staff empowerment are critical to achieving sustained increases in school meal participation
DETERMINANTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN THE LEADING PRODUCING COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE
Get PDFAgricultural 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 agricultural productivity. The results showed that the government subsidies, education, fertilizer, irrigation, pesticide, and temperature are the major factors that significantly affect the yield of cereal. It also revealed that the government subsidies, precipitation, education, fertilizer, irrigation, temperature, and commodity price significantly influence the yield of soybean. Thus, the results validate the fact that government policy (subsidy), climate-related factor (precipitation), socioeconomic factor (education), technological factor (irrigation), environmental factor (temperature), input factors (fertilizer and pesticide), and market factor (commodity price) all have an impact on the agricultural productivity