The University of Kansas: Journals@KU
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Walking the Talk: Establishing Best Practices for Attributing and Licensing Employee-Created Works
Full text linkLibrary employees routinely create content that is subject to copyright, ranging from web pages to video tutorials to photographs to social media posts. In most cases these contributions are invisible, as the creativity and intellectual effort of employee creators is typically unacknowledged. At the University of Guelph, we endeavoured to bring the works of employees into the spotlight by providing attribution on public-facing content whenever possible, while also facilitating downstream uses of those works through the use of open licenses. In doing so, we hoped to address a general lack of awareness and understanding of copyright and model respectful copyright practices for library employees and users alike. However, establishing and implementing these new copyright-focused practices was not without challenge and controversy. This paper – which builds upon a presentation we delivered at the 2024 ABC Copyright Conference (Martin & Versluis, 2024) – explores the obstacles we encountered in our multi-year journey to develop practices that were acceptable to content creators and content managers, while also respecting the boundaries of institutional intellectual property policies and collective agreements.
Keywords: copyright literacy, staff development, copyright ownership, employee created works, library policy and documentatio
Post-Operative Pain After Orthopedic Surgery: A Comparative Study Between the United States and Ethiopia
Full text linkIntroduction. Post-operative pain management varies across healthcare systems and cultural contexts. While opioids are central in the United States, many countries rely on non-opioid strategies due to limited access or cultural norms. Authors of this study compared pain management strategies and outcomes among orthopedic trauma patients at academic centers in the United States and Ethiopia.Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of patients undergoing orthopedic trauma surgery at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (Ethiopia) and the University of Kansas Health System (United States) between May and October 2022. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores at 24 and 48 hours post-operatively, analgesic use, and demographics were analyzed.Results. Ethiopian patients often were more male, younger, and had lower body mass indexes and fewer comorbidities (e.g., obesity, diabetes, smoking) than United States patients. Despite receiving fewer analgesics and no post-operative nerve blocks, Ethiopian patients reported lower VAS pain scores at both 24 and 48 hours. In the United States cohort, patients with nerve blocks had lower pain scores than those without; however, both groups reported higher scores than Ethiopian patients. In the United States, pain scores correlated positively with the number of analgesics administered. Conclusions. Ethiopian patients reported better pain control despite fewer interventions, suggesting that systemic, demographic, and cultural factors may strongly influence post-operative pain experiences. These findings underscore the importance of context-sensitive approaches to pain management and highlight the need for further research to inform equitable, effective strategies across diverse settings
100 Adults with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the Dawn of Treatment: A Bone Health Focus
Full text linkIntroduction
As disease-modifying treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are implemented, co-morbidities in adults including osteo-pathologies are increasingly recognised. Guidance for managing such issues is incomplete.
We present data on bone health from, to our knowledge, the UK’s largest single-centre adult SMA cohort.
Objectives
We aimed to quantify the following in our cohort:
Fracture incidence and location
Implementation of bone density scanning
Vitamin D status and supplementation
Methods
Retrospective case note review was performed for 100 adult patients (51% male; 49% female, average age 32), at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery from 2022-2025. SMA subtypes were SMA3 (N=55), SMA2 (N=44) and SMA1 (N=1). Where available ethnicities were: White (N=57), Asian (N=13), Black (N=4), Mixed (N=2) and Other (N=4).
Results
Fracture incidence was 25% (N=25), of which 85% (N=29) affected the lower limb(s). Most fractures (80%) (N=20) occurred in SMA3 patients. 50% (N=10) of SMA3 patients with a history of fractures, subsequently lost the ability to walk.
Bone density scans were recorded in 40% (N=10) of patients who had fractures (90% of scans occurred post fracture), and in 17% (N=13) of non-fracture patients.
Of the overall cohort, 39% (N=39) were vitamin D deficient or insufficient, and 60% (N=60) were prescribed cholecalciferol.
Conclusions
The high fracture rate is particularly pertinent, given that lower limb fractures can accelerate ambulation loss in SMA3 patients. Consistency in bone-density scanning is lacking and generally reactive to fracture occurrence. This highlights the importance of bone health considerations in adult SMA patients
Canada’s role in the international trade in live monitor lizards: An examination of CITES trade data with notes on illegal trade
Full text linkMonitor lizards (Varanus spp.) are heavily traded internationally to supply demand for their skins, meat,parts used in medicines, and as pets. We analyzed ten years (2011–2021) of CITES trade data and additional documentationto understand Canada’s role as an importer of live monitor lizards for the pet trade. Challenges with analysis arosedue to substantial gaps in Canada’s reporting. These gaps highlight critical deficiencies in Canada’s CITES records andpose challenges for identifying the true number of monitor lizards imported to Canada. Despite these limitations, therecords list more than 14,000 monitor lizards imported commercially to Canada during that timeframe. Some speciesimported to and exported from Canada are protected in their countries of origin (over and above international CITESlistings), which makes their appearance in international trade questionable. Dedicating more resources to implementingCanada’s prohibitions on the import of animals taken in contravention of foreign state laws could strengthen Canada’sresponse to illegal trade. Ensuring accurate recording of the number of animals that are actually imported into Canadaalso would provide a more precise account of the total trade volume. Improving record keeping and timely reportingis fundamental to Canada meeting its reporting obligations under CITES.
Rapid ecomorphological divergence between island and mainland populations of the Peruvian Lava Lizard (Microlophus peruvianus) in Northern Peru
Full text linkIsland-mainland systems provide ideal scenarios in which to study the influence that contrasting ecologicalpressures have on closely related taxa. In exceptional cases, recent colonization events or anthropogenic introduction ofcontinental individuals to islands can facilitate the study of rapid phenotypic divergence experienced by newly formed insular populations. The Peruvian Lava Lizard (Microlophus peruvianus) is an abundant and conspicuous species found along the Peruvian coastal desert. This species was introduced to several offshore Peruvian islands in the 1940s as a potential biological control of guano-bird ectoparasites. Less than a century later, some populations of M. peruvianus still thrive in some of these islands. Relative to continental environments, the islands have barren, sparsely vegetated andscapes, and terrestrial vertebrates are generally scarce. Thus, potential differences in the availability of microhabitats and prey and the presence of predators might have imposed distinct selective pressures on island and mainland popu- ations, consequently resulting in the evolution of diverging phenotypes. In this study we compared the morphology of an insular and a continental population of M. peruvianus and found significant differences possibly driven by the contrasting ecological pressures they experience. For example, the larger heads of mainland lizards might allow them to take advantage of the higher diversity of prey found in the continent, which apparently includes items of relatively greater hardness that require stronger bite forces to subdue and consume. Similarly, the relatively longer hindlimb traits found in mainland individuals might allow them to navigate their habitat with higher speed, a beneficial trait in open terrains. In contrast, high speeds might not be as necessary for island individuals due to high population density and lack of predators that often characterize insular habitats. Despite strong morphological divergence, further studies on the ecological and population dynamics at both localities are necessary to clarify these potential ecomorphological relationships. Besides highlighting the importance of insular environments in driving phenotypic diversity, this study represents the first morphological comparison between populations found in the Peruvian desert and its offshore islands, a virtually unexplored island-mainland system
Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) predation on a Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) in New South Wales, Australia
No full text
Towards a Roadmap for Exploring Texas German Voices
No full textOur interdisciplinary article provides an overview of the breadth and variety of primary sources available to scholars studying Texas German history, culture, and language. We seek to (re)open an interdisciplinary dialogue and inspire future research. As we explore how linguists and historians can fruitfully work together, we take Texas German-Indigenous relations as our case study, showcasing the evolving use and associations of the term Indianer. A special emphasis is placed on the dynamics of (inter)generational ethnic memory formation around the (passed down) story of the kidnapping and return of Herman Lehmann in the 1870s.
The Druze Emir in Renaissance Europe: Review of Gorton, Ted J., Renaissance Emir: A Druze Warlord at the Court of the Medici, Northampton, MA: Olive Branch Press, 2014. ISBN 978-1-56656-963-7
Full text linkتُجري هذه المراجعة دراسةً نقديةً لسيرة فخر الدين المعني الثاني، الأمير الدرزي الذي امتدت حياته عبر البيئات الجيوسياسية والثقافية المعقدة لبلاد الشام في أوائل العصر الحديث وأوروبا في عصر النهضة. يُقدم عمل جورتون سردًا بحثيًا دقيقًا وسهل الفهم لمسيرة فخر الدين السياسية، ونفيه إلى توسكانا، وإرثه الخالد، واضعًا إياه ضمن سياقات أوسع للدبلوماسية العابرة للثقافات، والهوية الدينية، وثقافة البلاط المتوسطي. تُبرز المراجعة نقاط قوة الكتاب في وضع التاريخ الدرزي في سياقه، وتصويره الدقيق لانخراط فخر الدين الاستراتيجي مع كل من القوى العثمانية والأوروبية. كما تُلقي الضوء على التحديات التفسيرية التي يطرحها تطبيق فئات التأريخ الغربي، مثل "عصر النهضة"، على الشخصيات غير الأوروبية.This review critically examines the biography of Fakhr ad-Din Ma’n II, a Druze emir whose life spanned the complex geopolitical and cultural landscapes of the Early Modern Levant and Renaissance Europe. Gorton’s work offers a meticulously researched and accessible account of Fakhr ad-Din’s political career, exile in Tuscany, and enduring legacy, situating him within broader narratives of cross-cultural diplomacy, religious identity, and Mediterranean courtly culture. The review highlights the book’s strengths in contextualizing Druze history and its nuanced portrayal of Fakhr ad-Din’s strategic engagement with both Ottoman and European powers. It also reflects on the interpretive challenges posed by applying Western historiographical categories such as “Renaissance” to non-European figures.
تُجري هذه المراجعة دراسةً نقديةً لسيرة فخر الدين المعني الثاني، الأمير الدرزي الذي امتدت حياته عبر البيئات الجيوسياسية والثقافية المعقدة لبلاد الشام في أوائل العصر الحديث وأوروبا في عصر النهضة. يُقدم عمل جورتون سردًا بحثيًا دقيقًا وسهل الفهم لمسيرة فخر الدين السياسية، ونفيه إلى توسكانا، وإرثه الخالد، واضعًا إياه ضمن سياقات أوسع للدبلوماسية العابرة للثقافات، والهوية الدينية، وثقافة البلاط المتوسطي. تُبرز المراجعة نقاط قوة الكتاب في وضع التاريخ الدرزي في سياقه، وتصويره الدقيق لانخراط فخر الدين الاستراتيجي مع كل من القوى العثمانية والأوروبية. كما تُلقي الضوء على التحديات التفسيرية التي يطرحها تطبيق فئات التأريخ الغربي، مثل "عصر النهضة"، على الشخصيات غير الأوروبية