Digital Commons Network^™

Blood From A Stone: Do The Trace Metals Of Sperm Whale Coproliths Reveal A Contribution From Squid Haemolymph?, Steven J. Rowland, Robert Clough, Paul A. Sutton, George H. Rowland

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Background: Ambergris is a coprolith produced by some sperm whales (∼1 %). It has been hypothesised that the metals in ambergris derive from the haemolymph of squid in the whale diet (mainly copper). However, few data exist. We report analysis of 10 trace metals in each of 50 ambergris samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Main Findings: Acid digests of the samples contained ∼5 to >6880 µg g⁻¹ air-dried weight total metals; mainly of iron (present in ∼90 % of samples, 38), copper (∼95 % of samples, 40), zinc (93 % of samples, 39) and cadmium (∼95 % of …

Drone Imagery And Deep Learning For Mapping The Density Of Wild Pacific Oysters To Manage Their Expansion Into Protected Areas, Aser Mata, David Moffat, Sílvia Almeida, Marko Radeta, William Jay, Nigel Mortimer, Katie Awty-Carroll, Oliver Thomas, Vanda Brotas, Steve Groom

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The recent expansion of wild Pacific oysters already had negative repercussions on sites in Europe and has raised further concerns over their potential harmful impact on the balance of biomes within protected areas. Monitoring their colonisation, especially at early stages, has become an urgent ecological issue. Current efforts to monitor wild Pacific oysters rely on “walk-over” surveys that are highly laborious and often limited to specific areas of easy access. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), commonly known as drones, can provide an effective tool for surveying complex terrains and detect Pacific oysters. This study provides a novel workflow for automated …

Mapping Patients’ Online Record Access Worldwide: Preliminary Results From An International Survey Of Healthcare Experts, A Kharko, C Blease, M Johansen, A Moen, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

While research on the effects of patient access to health records is increasing, a basic understanding of the spread of patient-accessible electronic health records worldwide is lacking. In this survey of healthcare experts with professional and personal experience from 29 countries, we explored the state of patient online record access (ORA). We asked participants whether ORA exists in their country and which information is available through it. Experts in all polled countries reported having some national access to health records, with 6 (21%) countries providing exclusively paper-based records and 23 (79%) countries having ORA. Overview of test/lab results and prescription/medication …

Evidence-Based Public Health Practice: A Toolkit For Evaluating Evidence & A Toolkit For Applying Evidence, Lisa M. Acuff, Deirdre Caparoso, Jonathan Eldredge, Gale G. Hannigan, Ingrid Hendrix

Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Hslic Annual Report Fy2023-24, University Of New Mexico Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

HSLIC Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Using A General Survey To Determine Value: One Health Sciences Library's Experience Customizing The Miso Survey, Sally Bowler-Hill, Melissa Rethlefsen, Robyn Gleasner, Lori D. Sloane, Laura J. Hall, Ingrid Hendrix, Kristin Proctor

Posters and Presentations

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to obtain reliable data about satisfaction with and value of services and resources to users at a health sciences library using the Measuring Information Service Outcomes (MISO) Survey.

METHODS: The study team evaluated multiple survey options including MISO, LibQual, LibStat, and creating an in-house survey. The ITHAKA survey was not considered due to its length and complexity. We selected MISO based on its flexibility/customizability, professional administration, ease of use, previous use of the tool, and historically high response rates. The team significantly customized the survey tool, adding 40 customized or local questions. The …

2022-2023 Annual Report: Hslic Justice, Equity, And Inclusion Committee, Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

Reports

No abstract provided.

Evidence Based Practice: A Decision-Making Guide For Health Information Professionals, Jonathan Eldredge

Faculty Book Display Case

This Guide introduces Evidence Based Practice to newcomers as well as serves as a resource for experienced practitioners. It focuses on health information professionals (informaticists, health sciences librarians, informationists, information scientists, data managers, archivists, etc.) within the US context, although others outside of the US health context might find elements of it to be valuable.

Location Report 2024, The Office Of Program Evaluation, Education And Research At The Unm School Of Medicine

University of New Mexico School of Medicine Location Report

With this report, the Office of Program Evaluation, Education and Research (PEAR) at the UNM School of Medicine strives to deliver accurate information about practicing UNM-trained MDs and DOs in New Mexico.

Psychosocial Factors Associated With Physical Activity In People With Dementia: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study, Nicolas Farina, Uzma Niazi, Riona Mc Ardle, Johanna Eronen, Ruth Lowry, Sube Banerjee

Peninsula Medical School

Objectives: To understand how psychosocial factors associated with physical activity differ based on disease severity in people with dementia, and how these factors are associated with physical activity participation. Methods: Eighty-seven people with dementia, alongside their family carer were asked to complete a series of questions related to physical activity participation, including barriers, motivators, and facilitators. Regression models were developed to understand how psychosocial factors were associated with physical activity participation in the cohort. Results: In the final models, only the absence of intrapersonal barriers was associated with overall physical activity and regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Feelings of relatedness were …

Child Protection And Family Support: Experiences In A Seaside Resort, Thomas El-Hoss, Felicity Thomas, Felix Gradinger, Ms Susanne Hughes

Peninsula Medical School

Effective Early Help services are key to halting rising rates of children in care in the UK. Yet despite family support and child welfare interventions being unequally distributed across the country, the role of ‘place’ has received limited attention in the children's social care arena. This paper examines the connections between coastal challenges, Early Help and child welfare interventions, drawing on embedded research undertaken within a Local Authority on England's coast with elevated levels of children in care. We focus on families’ experiences raising children in a seaside resort area as well as professionals’ perspectives on the place-based challenges faced …

A Study Of Referral Bias In Nmosd And Mogad Cohorts, Miguel Leal Rato, Bo Chen, Anna Francis, Silvia Messina, Madalina Miron, Yvonne Sharawakanda, Eoin O'Sullivan, Sarah Cooper, Leonora Fisniku, Christopher Halfpenny, Roswell Martin, Jeremy Hobart, Waqar Rashid, Cheryl Hemingway, Victoria Williams, Yael Hacohen, Ruth Dobson, Sithara Ramdas, Maria Isabel Leite, Jacqueline Palace, Ruth Geraldes

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody–associated disease (MOGAD) are rare disorders often seen in highly specialized services or tertiary centres. We aimed to assess if cohort characteristics depend on the origin of the referral catchment areas serviced by our centre (i.e. local, regional or national). Methods: Retrospective cohort study using a national referral service database including local (Oxfordshire), regional (Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties), and national patients. We included patients with the diagnosis of NMOSD, seronegative NMOSD or MOGAD, followed at the Oxford Neuromyelitis Optica Service. Results: We included 720 patients (331 with MOGAD, 333 with …

Empirically Assessing Medical Device Innovation, George Horvath

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

First Amendment Disequilibrium, Christina Koningisor, Lyrissa Lidsky

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court has constructed key parts of First Amendment law around two underlying assumptions. The first is that the press is a powerful actor capable of obtaining government information and checking government power. The second is that the executive branch is bound by various internal and external constraints that limit its ability to keep information secret. Judges and legislators have long assumed that these twin forces—an emboldened press and a constrained executive—maintain a rough balance between the press’s desire to uncover secrets and the executive’s desire to keep information hidden. Landmark First Amendment cases such as the Pentagon Papers …

Just Look At The Map: Bounding Environmental Review Of Housing Development In California, Eric Biber, Christopher S. Elmendorf, Nicholas Marantz, Moira O’Neill

Faculty Scholarship

California faces a dire housing crisis. California’s land-use regulatory system remains a key driver of this crisis. State law grants local governments broad power to craft their own regulations on how to review and approve housing development. Though state law may limit a locality’s ability to outright deny some types of housing development, local governments can and do use creative ways to stall approvals or functionally deny housing by making it infeasible to develop. One such strategy is to demand more intensive environmental review of new housing projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) than what state law requires. …

Dance Of The Biologics, Robin Feldman, Gideon Schor

Faculty Scholarship

From COVID-19 vaccines to cancer treatments, biologic medicines are gaining importance in the U.S. health care system. Their high price tags, however, make these medications difficult for many Americans to afford. The Biosimilars Act, enacted in 2010, aimed to reduce costs and increase access to biologic medications by encouraging follow-on competition. The legislative effort followed in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984.

Although the Hatch-Waxman system succeeded in creating a landscape of more affordable and widely used generic drugs, the Biosimilars Act has failed to live up to its promise. Biologic drugs in the United States …

Ai & Antitrust: The Algorithm Made Me Do It, Robin Feldman, Caroline Yuen

Faculty Scholarship

As the dawn of artificial intelligence (“AI”) rises rapidly, competition authorities should contemplate the potential for hazy days ahead. Undoubtedly, AI’s already ubiquitous presence offers exciting possibilities, from enhancing efficiency, to leveling the playing field for non-native speakers,to enabling scientific discovery.Despite these breathtaking advancements, however, recent data from the Pew Research Center reveal that only 15% of adults surveyed were “more excited than concerned about the increasing use of AI in daily life,” with 46% expressing “an equal mix of concern and excitement.”

Policymakers also manifest concerns about AI, exemplified by the extent to which government actors are racing to …

Hierarchies Of Discrimination In Baby Making? A Response To Professor Carroll, Radhika Rao

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Toward A Taxonomy Of Freedom Of Movement Claims: Identifying Rights-Based Pathways For Today’S Refugees Beyond The 1951 Refugee Convention, Moria Paz

Faculty Scholarship

This Article discusses the current migratory crisis as one instance of a conceptual mismatch in human rights between formal law and the tools that courts and other quasi-judicial bodies actually utilize in adjudication. While the doctrine centers around individual right-holders, enforcement bodies provide a remedy only when there is a state duty-holder. Human rights scholarship regarding refugees focuses on the right to freedom of movement. However, this right frequently offers little benefit to these individuals adrift at sea or wandering in the desert.

An alternative framing might ultimately be more effective before human rights courts and other quasi-judicial bodies. This …

Effect Of Alkaline Water In Controlling Oral Ph, Duc M. Nguyen

Dental Hygiene ETDs

This study was motivated by the widespread prevalence of dental caries, acknowledged as a global concern and often deemed a pandemic, coupled with the realization of limitations in existing caries prevention methods. The surge in the popularity of alkaline water for daily use, recognized for its health benefits, prompted an exploration of its potential role in averting dental caries. The central hypothesis, focusing on the remineralization benefits of alkaline water as a preventive method for dental caries, formed the basis of investigation. Structured with two phases and five steps, the study aimed to evaluate the impact of alkaline water on …

Preoperative Aerobic Fitness And Perioperative Outcomes In Patients Undergoing Cystectomy Before And After Implementation Of A National Lockdown, Nicholas Tetlow, Amy Dewar, Pietro Arina, Melanie Tan, Ashwin N. Sridhar, John D. Kelly, Nishkantha Arulkumaran, Robert C.M. Stephens, Daniel S. Martin, Suneetha R. Moonesinghe, John Whittle

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Lower fitness is a predictor of adverse outcomes after radical cystectomy. Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic affected daily physical activity. We hypothesised that lockdown during the pandemic was associated with a reduction in preoperative aerobic fitness and an increase in postoperative complications in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Methods: We reviewed routine preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) data collected prior to the pandemic (September 2018 to March 2020) and after lockdown (March 2020 to July 2021) in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Differences in CPET variables, Postoperative Morbidity Survey (POMS) data, and length of hospital stay were compared. Results: We …

Perioperative Oxygenation—What's The Stress?, Joseph Larvin, Mark Edwards, Daniel S. Martin, Martin Feelisch, Michael P.W. Grocott, Andrew F. Cumpstey

Peninsula Medical School

Oxygen is the most used drug in anaesthesia. Despite such widespread use, optimal perioperative oxygen administration remains highly controversial because of concerns about the competing harms of both hyperoxia and hypoxia. Notwithstanding a Cochrane review concluding that routinely administering a fractional inspired oxygen concentration (FiO₂) >0.6 intraoperatively might increase postoperative morbidity and mortality, the World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends all anaesthetised patients receive 0.8 FiO₂ during and immediately after surgery to reduce surgical site infections. Results from the largest trial available at the time of these two reviews (suggesting long-term survival may be worse with high …

A Novel Approach To Expedite Emergency Investigation For Suspected Cauda Equina Syndrome Referrals From Community And Primary Care Services: A Service Evaluation, Jonathon Gill, Sue Greenhalgh, Jos M. Latour, Stephen Pickup, Gillian Yeowell

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Introduction: Although a rare spinal emergency, cauda equina syndrome (CES) can result in significant physical, emotional, and psychological sequalae. Introducing a CES pathway enhances diagnosis but may increase Radiology and Orthopaedic workload. To address this, one NHS hospital in England introduced a novel CES pathway. Utilising a criteria-led pathway, patients were referred directly from community/primary care, via the Emergency Department, for an emergency MRI scan. Objective: To compare the outcomes of patients referred via an original and redesigned Community and Primary Care CES pathway. Design: A retrospective service evaluation was undertaken of all emergency MRI scans investigating suspected CES via …

Optimizing Group Work Strategies In Virtual Dissection, Lily Evans, Lauren Singer, Daniel Zahra, Ifeoluwa Agbeja, Siobhan M. Moyes

Peninsula Medical School

Due to its haptic and interactive nature, virtual anatomy provides an opportunity for small-group learning, enabling students to develop their group work skills before they graduate. However, there is currently little practical guidance supported by pedagogic principles detailing how to incorporate it into curricula. Anatomy educators at the University of Plymouth conducted action research aiming to capture students' overall perceptions of the virtual anatomy platform Anatomage. Questioning the benefits and challenges students face while interacting with Anatomage prompted the creation of evidence-based interventions to be later evaluated. Although a plethora of themes were identified, this report specifically examines those relating …

Covid And Mental Health In People With Intellectual Disability, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Protecting The Mental Health Of People Seeking Sanctuary In The Uk's Evolving Legislative Landscape, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Modelling The Spatial Risk Pattern Of Dementia In Denmark Using Residential Location Data: A Registry-Based National Cohort, Prince M. Amegbor, Clive E. Sabel, Laust H. Mortensen, Amar J. Mehta

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Dementia is a major global public health concern that is increasingly leading to morbidity and mortality among older adults. While studies have focused on the risk factors and care provision, there is currently limited knowledge about the spatial risk pattern of the disease. In this study, we employ Bayesian spatial modelling with a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) approach to model the spatial risk using complete residential history data from the Danish population and health registers. The study cohort consisted of 1.6 million people aged 65 years and above from 2005 to 2018. The results of the spatial risk map …

Exposure To Air Pollution And Risk Of Respiratory Tract Infections In The Adult Danish Population—A Nationwide Study, Kathrine A. Kaspersen, Sussie Antonsen, Henriette T. Horsdal, Bertram Kjerulff, Jørgen Brandt, Camilla Geels, Jesper H. Christensen, Lise M. Frohn, Clive E. Sabel, Khoa M. Dinh, Ole Hertel, Torben Sigsgaard, Carsten B. Pedersen, Christian Erikstrup

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Objectives: The association between air pollution and risk of respiratory tract infection (RTI) in adults needs to be clarified in settings with low to moderate levels of air pollution. We investigated this in the Danish population between 2004 and 2016. Methods: We included 3 653 490 persons aged 18–64 years in a nested case-control study. Exposure was defined as the average daily concentration at the individual's residential address of CO, NO_X, NO₂, O₃, SO₂, NH₃, PPM_2.5, black carbon, organic carbon, mineral dust, sea salt, secondary inorganic aerosols, SO …

A Sense Of Danger: Gender-Based Violence And The Quest For A Sensory Criminology, Amanda Holt, Sian Lewis

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This article responds to recent calls for a ‘sensory criminology’ by offering a multi-sensorial analysis of gender-based violence (GBV). We examine both the often-discussed external senses as well as the more marginalized internal senses and explore how emotion, the broader criminological ‘atmosphere’ of GBV and the shift in atmosphere during the Covid-19 pandemic are implicated in women’s experiences of street-based sexual harassment and sexual assault. By analysing over 140 stories of GBV during the Covid-19 lockdowns, we evidence the scope and value of a fully multi-sensory criminology.

Explaining And Correcting Trade Imbalances Between The Northern And Southern Eurozone: An Empirical Investigation, Ioannis Litsios, Keith Pilbeam

Plymouth Business School

In this paper we take a novel approach to examining the trade imbalances between the Southern Eurozone countries and the Northern Eurozone countries by aggregating them into a Southern Group and Northern Group. We then explore three possible causes of the trade imbalances, which are the fiscal channel, the investment channel and the competitiveness channel. We find that all three channels are important in explaining the emergence and correction of trade imbalances. In particular, we find that an increase in fiscal deficits in the North are twice as effective in reducing trade imbalances than fiscal consolidation in the South. By …