Digital Commons Network^™

Mapping Life Sciences & Biomedicine Research, Shah Salma, B. Mini Devi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose: This study analyzes and highlights the research productivity and the trend in the top fields of “Life sciences and Biomedicine”.

Methods: The data were collected from Clarivate Analytic’s “Web of Science” for a period of 10 years (2006-2016). The search was further refined to the top 10 fields in the field of “Life Sciences and Biomedicine”. The data were downloaded on the following parameters: “author productivity”, “country contribution”, “organisational involvement”, “funding agencies”, “publication year”, “most preferred document type” and “language”.

Findings: No consistent growth is observed in the research activities pertinent to the fields of “Life …

Lgbtqia-R: Creating A Diverse And Inclusive Medical Collection At A Public Metropolitan University, Heidi Blackburn, Omer Farooq

Criss Library Faculty Publications

Information about the LGBTQIA population is difficult to collect because of the sensitive nature of the topic of sexual preference and gender identity. This paper examines our weeding project and collection development efforts to provide health care information for the LGBTQIA community at a Midwestern metropolitan university. The findings conclude that our collection was not providing sufficient, up-to-date health information for the personal and professional information needs of our patrons in the R-RZ Library of Congress range. The weeding process, strategies for working with department faculty, and the implications for an intersectional medical collection are discussed.

Understanding Non-Vaccinating Parents' Views To Inform And Improve Clinical Encounters: A Qualitative Study In An Australian Community, Catherine Helps, Julie Leask, Lesley M. Barclay, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: To explain vaccination refusal in a sample of Australian parents.

Design: Qualitative design, purposive sampling in a defined population.

Setting: A geographically bounded community of approximately 30 000 people in regional Australia with high prevalence of vaccination refusal.

Participants: Semi structured interviews with 32 non-vaccinating parents: 9 fathers, 22 mothers and 1 pregnant woman. Purposive sampling of parents who had decided to discontinue or decline all vaccinations for their children.

Recruitment: via local advertising then snowballing.

Results: Thematic analysis focused on explaining decision-making pathways of parents who refuse vaccination. Common patterns in parents' accounts included: perceived deterioration in health …

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome In India: A Socio-Cultural Perspective, Hannah Wickham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the ways in which cultural determinants affect the health-seeking, diagnosis and treatment process of women with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) as well as the underlying socio-cultural causes of the illness. Often coined as a “lifestyle disease”, PCOS is becoming a growing concern of physicians and women alike as its prevalence is on the rise with no signs of slowing down. Lifestyle, stigmas/taboos, PCOS’s effect on identity, and quality of life are all areas that are examined throughout this paper. A mixture of patients’ and doctors’ perspectives on PCOS were gathered throughout a three-week time period in …

Perceptions Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine In Western Society: A Focus Study On Switzerland, Sandra B. Saldana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The demand for complementary, alternative, and traditional medicine, or CAM, has been a topic of debate in Western countries like Switzerland in the past decades due to the limited evidence-based research on its effectiveness. However, countries like Switzerland have been implementing CAM in their national health insurance as a response to the pressure of demand from the people. Thus, understanding the motivations for CAM use may help medical and government institutions address the shift towards a new way of managing health and disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial factors involved in influencing the patients’ perception …

Development Of Health Rehabilitation In Mainland China: From Traditional Chinese Medicine To Modern Western Rehabilitation Methods, Michelle Moy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this study is to understand the changes occurring in China, leading to the development of health rehabilitation. This study will portray the shift of traditional Chinese medicine to modern influences of Western rehabilitation, and will also introduce the idea of an integrated model of TCM and Western Rehabilitation.

Observations were held at a TCM hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, as well as a TCM hospital that provided modern rehabilitation services. Two online questionnaire surveys were sent out to rehabilitation health professionals working in mainland China, one of which collected quantitative data while the other collected both qualitative and …

Exploring Evolutionary Medicine Through 19Th Century Medical Collections: Applications In Archival Studies, Taylor Sturgill

Special Collections Research Center Learning Lab Student Research

Evolution has been a paradox in the field of science, but, the study of evolutionary medicine applies both the evolutionary game theory and medicine. This study was conducted to explore evolution by analyzing two 19th century collections of medical formulations and prescriptions while compared to the trend of public health and pathogenic mechanisms. Analysis of organic structure in historical prescriptions, descriptive epidemiology in Kentucky, and the idea of the germ theory will be used explicitly to show the evolutionary change of health and disease. Results of this study provided an outlook on ingredients that stimulate the body as a whole …

Collaboration Between Health Sciences Librarians And Faculty As Reflected By Articles Published In The Journal Of The Medical Library Association, Katherine G. Akers, Molly Higgins, Jennifer A. Devito, Sally Stieglitz, Robert Tolliver, Clara Y. Tran

Library Scholarly Publications

A recent study by Higgins and colleagues reports that the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) had the highest percentage of articles with both librarian and faculty co-authors out of 13 peer-reviewed journals in STEM librarianship and education between 2005 and 2014. A deeper and updated analysis of JMLA research articles and case studies published between 2008 and 2017 revealed that 29% of articles had both librarian and faculty co-authors. The main topics of librarian-faculty collaboration as described in these articles were related to patient and consumer health information and clinical information-seeking and decision-making by healthcare providers. …

Hermeneutic Philosophies Of Social Science: Introduction, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

No abstract provided.

Hermeneutics And Its Discontents In Philosophy Of Science: On Bruno Latour, The “Science Wars”, Mockery, And Immortal Models, Babette Babich

Articles and Chapters in Academic Book Collections

Themes discussed include a hermeneutic of hermeneutic philosophy of science, along with the hegemony of analytic style in university philosophy in the US and Europe as well as the rhetoric of power, highlighting the politics of mockery using the example of Alan Sokal’s hoax as this sought to exclude other voices in the academy, especially philosophy of science. In addition to reviewing Sokal’s attack on Bruno Latour, Latour’s own “biography” of an investigation is read as articulating a doubled hermeneutic reflection on modernity including both field ethnography and lab-ethnography. The further question of the viability of a hermeneutics of science …

Alma Link Resolver Subject Report 2016-2017, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2016-2017 on the number of OpenURL requests by Library of Congress classification code made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries.

Information provided includes Classification Code, Classifications, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, and % Clicks from Requests.

Religion And Esotericism Among Students: A Crosscultural Comparative Study, Franz Höllinger, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Analyzing the results of a study on religious and esoteric beliefs and practice among university students from five European and five American countries, we found that the level of religiousness of students depends very much on their cultural environment: the level of religiosity and esoteric beliefs is significantly higher among North- and South-American students than among European students. On the other hand, Asian spiritual techniques and esoteric methods of healing are practiced more frequently by students in North-Western European countries. In the second part of the paper, we examine the relationship between academic discipline and religious worldviews. According to our …

Opening Up The Echo Chamber: Teaching Cultural Competence In Contentious Times, Charles H. Klein

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years, political discussion and social life are increasingly concentrating in face-to-face and online echo chambers composed of individuals with similar world views. This segmentation of civil society has stymied in-depth and respectful communication across ideological difference and in the process contributed to the divisiveness that characterizes political discourse across the globe. In this article, I examine how anthropological learning and teaching can help open up these echo chambers and promote cultural empathy and cross-ideological communication. My discussion focuses on three methodologies I use in my undergraduate-level Culture, Health and Healing course – weekly critical analyses on contemporary health …

Internet Use Pattern Among The Faculties Of D.M’S College: A Case Study, Dr. Jayaprakash H

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

‘Information is Power’ and this information is derived either from Print media or Electronic media, when we say electronic media without Internet we are helpless in getting relevant and latest information. The present study explores Internet Use Pattern among the faculties of Dnyanprassarak Mandal’s College and Research Centre, Mapusa, Goa. A survey method of research was used for the present study. Questionnaire was designed for the purpose of data collection, 65 questionnaires were distributed and 51 filled in questionnaires were collected from the faculty members. The result of the study showed that, majority of the faculty members under the study …

Causes, Consequences, And Policy Responses To The Migration Of Health Workers: Key Findings From India, Margaret Walton-Roberts, Vivien Runnels, S. Irudaya Rajan, Atul Sood, Sreelekha Nair, Philomina Thomas, Corinne Packer, Adrian Mackenzie, Gail Tomblin Murphy, Ronald Labonté, Ivy Bourgeault

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Background: This study sought to better understand the drivers of skilled health professional migration, its consequences, and the various strategies countries have employed to mitigate its negative impacts. The study was conducted in four countries—Jamaica, India, the Philippines, and South Africa—that have historically been “sources” of health workers migrating to other countries. The aim of this paper is to present the findings from the Indian portion of the study.

Methods: Data were collected using surveys of Indian generalist and specialist physicians, nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists, dieticians, and other allied health therapists. We also conducted structured interviews with key stakeholders representing …

Role Of Dietary Modification In Alleviating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms: A Systematic Review, Kathryn Jones, Yasmine Probst

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objective: To review the evidence for the role of dietary modifications in alleviating chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms. Methods: A systematic literature review was guided by PRISMA and conducted using Scopus, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science and PsycINFO scientific databases (1994-2016) to identify relevant studies. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria, the quality of each paper was assessed and data extracted into a standardised tabular format. Results: Positive outcomes were highlighted in some included studies for polyphenol intakes in animal studies, D-ribose supplementation in humans and aspects of symptom alleviation for one of three polynutrient supplement studies. Omega three fatty acid …

The Experience Of Qigong Among Women Cancer Survivors, Jennifer Sveund

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Research has shown that qigong can be beneficial for a variety of health related conditions; However, evidence suggests that in the United States, a lack of well designed clinical trials limits the efficacy of qigong in the context of cancer treatment. Research has indicated that careful consideration should be given to the design of randomized control trials using qigong due to the conflicting philosophical methodologies. In the United States, qigong has been under investigated, particularly lacking are qualitative inquiries into qigong use and cancer survivorship. This study is an interpretative phenomenological inquiry that sought to understand women’s experience of qigong …

Are Researchers Registering Systematic Reviews In Clinicaltrials.Gov?, Gary E. Kaplan, Ms, Ahip

Academic Commons and Scott Memorial Library Staff Papers and Presentations

BACKGROUND:

ClinicalTrials.gov (CT) is an increasingly important resource for systematic reviewers attempting to identify published and unpublished clinical studies. In addition to clinical studies, however, some searches of the CT database also return systematic reviews (SRs). When I inquired about the SRs appearing in the results, the NLM Help Desk responded that “We do not recommend that systematic reviews be entered in ClinicalTrials.gov, since we only want the results of a clinical trial entered once. However, we will not refuse them if they are entered.” I wanted to find out how many SRs are included, describe their characteristics, and suggest …

Commodifying Indigeneity: How The Humanization Of Birth Reinforces Racialized Inequality In Mexico, Rosalynn A. Vega

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article examines the humanized birth movement in Mexico and analyzes how the remaking of tradition—the return to traditional birthing arts (home birth, midwife‐assisted birth, natural birth)—inadvertently reinscribes racial hierarchies. The great irony of the humanized birth movement lies in parents’ perspective of themselves as critics of late capitalism. All the while, their very rejection of consumerism bolsters ongoing commodification of indigenous culture and collapses indigeneity, nature, and tradition onto one another. While the movement is quickly spreading across Mexico, indigenous women and their traditional midwives are largely excluded from the emerging humanized birth community. Through ethnographic examples, the article …

A Webometric Analysis Of Medical Tourism Websites In Kerala, S Thanuskodi "Dr."

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Medical Tourism is any kind of travel to make a person or a member of his family healthier (Raj,2006). The word Medical Tourism was coined when people started looking outside west for cheaper medical treatment with international quality. It can be broadly defined as provision of 'cost effective' private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical care and other forms. Kerala has become one of the leading Medical Tourism destinations of India and gained international attention for health tourism and is becoming a popular health tourism hub. There are a number of speciality hospitals in …

Alma Link Resolver Subject Report 2015-2016, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Statistics for 2015-2016 on the number of OpenURL requests by Library of Congress classification code made to the Ex Libris Alma link resolver for items held by the University of Rhode Island Libraries.

Information provided includes Classification Code, Classifications, Number of Requests, Number of Clicked Requests, and % Clicks from Requests.

The Changing Roles And Reputations Of Dais In Rural Uttarakhand: An Investigation Into The Maternal Health Services Of Villages In Okhalkanda Block In Nainital, Jenna Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The dai, once a prominent figure in Indian maternal health, now faces marginalization as the government of India adopts the goal of universal institutional delivery. Under pressure from international discourse that Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) were more effective at lowering Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) than Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) like dais (World Health Organization), dai training was discontinued and left in the hands of NGOs, while concurrently women and ASHAs were monetarily incentivized for every institutional birth (Park, 419). Yet in rural, isolated, or hilly areas like Okhalakanda block in Uttarakhand, institutional delivery is a long way from universal—only …

Depression And Help Seeking In The Sri Lankan-Australian And Anglo-Australian Community: A Qualitative Exploration-Preliminary Findings, Josefine Antoniades, Bianca Brijnath

Papers from the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conferences

This study compared cultural variances in the understanding of depression, help seeking and management strategies between Anglo-Australians and Sri Lankan immigrants with depression, one of the fastest growing immigrant communities in Australia. From 2012-2104 Sri Lankan (n=18) and Anglo-Australians (n=30) participants living with depression took part in semi-structured interviews. Participant eligibility was verified by significant levels of depression on the DSM IV and K10. Sri Lankans and Anglo-Australians expressed overlap in the experience in symptoms, yet differences in beliefs related to the etiology of depression; in general, Sri Lankan migrants attributed depressive symptoms to ongoing social problems whereas Anglos-Australians generally …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Pakistan faces a number of challenges to increasing modern contraceptive use. Although there are encouraging signs, such as improved male participation, the addition of about four million current FP users, from 2007 to 2013, and a responsive policy environment with demonstrated political and financial commitment to meeting the country’s FP2020 goals, the task that lies ahead is still huge. This report presents the findings of a landscape analysis of family planning (FP) in Pakistan by the Population Council in 2015 and 2016, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This landscape analysis assesses both demand and supply side …

Deconstructing Unmade Examining The Capacity Of Ayurveda To Address India’S Mental Health Crisis, Cassie Sutten Coats

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though India does not have a credible, widespread system in place to recognize and focus on issues of mental health, especially in allopathic treatments, it is imperative to evaluate the existing practices and approaches in regards to mental health alongside the impact that these approaches may have on Indian society. In contrast to Westernized systems of medicine, the traditional Indian system of Ayurveda inherently addresses issues in mental health due to the holistic approach through mind-body medicine. This study evaluates the enormous potential that exists within Ayurvedic philosophy to provide adequate, culturally congruent, treatments and care in mental health, and …

Barriers To Prevention And Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Qualitative Analysis Of Women In East Sikkim, India, Emily Applewhite

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disorder that affects more people in India than anywhere else in the world (Ramachandran et. al., 2010). A recent national study concluded that Sikkim, a small northeastern state in the Himalayas, has the highest prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus compared to any other state in India. In order to determine why this is so, this study looks at the barriers women face when attempting to prevent and treat Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in East Sikkim. Fieldwork for this study was facilitated by The Volunteer Health Association of Sikkim, and took place in Gangtok and a …

Diterpenoid Alkaloids Of Aconitum Laciniatum And Mitigation Of Inflammation By 14-O-Acetylneoline In A Murine Model Of Ulcerative Colitis, Phurpa Wangchuk, Severine Navarro, Catherine Shepherd, Paul A. Keller, Stephen G. Pyne, Alex Loukas

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Aconitum laciniatum is used in Bhutanese traditional medicine for treating various chronic infections and inflammatory conditions. We carried out in-depth isolation and characterization of the phytochemicals from the root component and determined the anti-inflammatory effects of the isolated compounds against chemically-induced colitis in mice. Five diterpenoid alkaloids - pseudaconitine, 14-veratroylpseudaconine, 14-O-acetylneoline, neoline, and senbusine A - were isolated from A. laciniatum for the first time. Two of the alkaloids were tested for anti-inflammatory properties in the TNBS-induced colitis model in mice. Various parameters were measured to assess pathology including weight loss, clinical and macroscopic scores, histological structure and IFN-γ production …

Common Psychosocial And Spiritual Factors Among Individuals Who Have Healed From Chronic Lyme Disease, Frederick Green

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examined the subjective experience of individuals who have healed from Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD). Despite significant attention paid to the controversy over CLD diagnosis and treatment, scholarly research has neglected the psychosocial and/or spiritual factors that facilitate healing from the perspective of CLD sufferers. This study addressed this research gap by using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the barriers and facilitators of healing among those who have healed from CLD. Six participants who had suffered from CLD and considered themselves healed from the disease were recruited and interviewed. The qualitative data was reduced to meaning units, which …

Exploring The Intersection Between Folk And Conventional Medicine In Albany, Kentucky, Chloe J. Brown

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Approximately 60% of patients surveyed (in Albany, KY) practice folk medicine, which suggests that a significant segment of the population may practice folk medicine. Patients typically use folk medical treatments concurrently with conventional medical treatments; while the interaction of these treatments is generally innocuous or positive, folk medical treatments can sometimes be harmful, lead to negative interactions with other drugs prescribed by a conventional medical professional. Since folk medicine and conventional medicine frequently interact, it is important for medical professionals to be aware of and address folk medical practices in a conventional medical environment. In order to better address folk …

Women And Gender: Useful Categories Of Analysis In Environmental History, Nancy Unger

History

In 1990, Carolyn Merchant proposed, in a roundtable discussion published in The Journal of American History, that gender perspective be added to the conceptual frameworks in environmental history. 1 Her proposal was expanded by Melissa Leach and Cathy Green in the British journal Environment and History in 1997. 2 The ongoing need for broader and more thoughtful and analytic investigations into the powerful relationship between gender and the environment throughout history was confirmed in 2001 by Richard White and Vera Norwood in "Environmental History, Retrospect and Prospect," a forum in the Pacific Historical Review. Both Norwood, in her provocative contribution …