Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Ultrasound Physics and its Application in Medicine
Arbin Thapaliya; Alec Sithole; Michael Welsh; Gaston Dana · PALNI · 2024
Ultrasound has a wide range of medical applications. Some of these include obstetrics (monitoring the progress of pregnancy), oncology (monitoring the growth of tumors), cardiology (visualizing the heart function and physiology), biopsy (guiding needles in various procedures), and physiotherapy. For example, today, an estimated 60-70% of pregnant women in the United States undergo ultrasound examination during pregnancy. An estimated 250 million fetal ultrasound examinations are performed every year in the USA. In the last few decades, ultrasound technology has expanded to medical imaging in various other specialties: Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, General Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN), Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Physiatry, Sports Medicine, and Surgery. The increasing demand in the use of ultrasound technology in various biomedical fields points to a future in which medical professionals will be required to possess a general knowledge of ultrasound technology. While currently most medical professionals rely on technicians to perform the imaging studies, there can be a high degree of operator dependent results. Therefore, a solid foundation of the technological properties of ultrasound would give health care providers a competitive advantage in the future. This is one of the first goals of this textbook. This textbook also covers general aspects of diagnostic ultrasound providing an excellent reference for both beginners and professionals. In addition, this textbook has end-of-the-chapter experiments that will help educators conduct labs for students and any other learners to enhance their learning and solidify the practical skills.
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Microbiomes: Health and the Environment
Dylan Parks · Mavs Open Press · 2022
Microbiomes: Health and the Environment was created to provide accessible insight into the novel and complex world of polymicrobial community interactions. As we push forward into the future of medicine and environmental health, it is imperative that we learn from each other, from history, and keep up to date with the latest advances in research and technology. This book not only provides content from the latest microbiome studies, but contains interactive tools, videos, and thought-provoking questions to help the reader hone and truly understand the respective topic. Though there is much overlap between themes due to the ubiquitous nature of microbes, the book is broken down into sections pertaining to both human health (e.g., gut health and disease, as well as other organ-specific niches) and aspects of the environment (e. g., nutrient cycling and climate change, marine health, soil and plant health, etc.) influenced by microbes. However, the content is designed to bridge ideas and aspects between these themes to support the One Health concept: that the health of people, animals, and the environment are all interconnected. This project will continue to grow with new findings, and adapt with the ever-changing world of microorganisms.
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Human Evolutionary Demography
Oskar Burger; Ronald Lee; Rebecca Sear · Open Book Publishers · 2024
Human evolutionary demography is an emerging field blending natural science with social science. This edited volume provides a much-needed, interdisciplinary introduction to the field and highlights cutting-edge research for interested readers and researchers in demography, the evolutionary behavioural sciences, biology, and related disciplines. By bridging the boundaries between social and biological sciences, the volume stresses the importance of a unified understanding of both in order to grasp past and current demographic patterns. Demographic traits, and traits related to demographic outcomes, including fertility and mortality rates, marriage, parental care, menopause, and cooperative behavior are subject to evolutionary processes. Bringing an understanding of evolution into demography therefore incorporates valuable insights into this field; just as knowledge of demography is key to understanding evolutionary processes. By asking questions about old patterns from a new perspective, the volume—composed of contributions from established and early-career academics—demonstrates that a combination of social science research and evolutionary theory offers holistic understandings and approaches that benefit both fields. Human Evolutionary Demography introduces an emerging field in an accessible style. It is suitable for graduate courses in demography, as well as upper-level undergraduates. Its range of research is sure to be of interest to academics working on demographic topics (anthropologists, sociologists, demographers), natural scientists working on evolutionary processes, and disciplines which cross-cut natural and social science, such as evolutionary psychology, human behavioral ecology, cultural evolution, and evolutionary medicine. As an accessible introduction, it should interest readers whether or not they are currently familiar with human evolutionary demography.
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A Guide to the Principles of Animal Nutrition
Gita Cherian · Oregon State University · 2020
Based on over 20 years of teaching experience in animal nutrition, this study guide will enhance learning basic food animal nutritional principles.In this introductory text, six fundamental nutrients, their structure, digestion, and metabolism are covered. A brief introduction to bioenergetics, feed additives, nutrient analysis, digestive organs and processes in monogastric and ruminant animals, and methods for assessing nutrient utilization are also included.Each chapter is illustrated with a new terms box, key points, and review questions.This study guide is an essential learning tool for undergraduate students majoring in animal sciences, veterinary medicine, or other related disciplines.
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Foundations of Radiation Safety & Radiobiology: For Undergraduate Students in the Radiation Sciences
Jared Stiles; Hannah Fink-Flesburg · University of Iowa · 2026
This open textbook covers the foundations of radiation safety and radiobiology in medical imaging and radiation therapy. It is meant for undergraduate students in the radiation sciences.
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Introduction to Animal Science
Deanne Pawlisch · Aurora University · 2026
This text is designed for a one-semester Introduction to Animal Science course for undergraduate students. For many students, this course sparks interest in a career with animals, while for others, it is a required course. Therefore, this text is intended to be a "buffet" of animal science topics, allowing students to sample a little bit of everything to develop an understanding of the importance of animals in their lives and in the world around them.
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The Science of Nutrition
Heather Lehman · The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) · 2026
The Science of Nutrition offers a clear and engaging introduction to the fundamental principles of nutrition. This textbook bridges evidence-based research with practical application, making it ideal for both nutrition or science majors and non-majors. Students will explore how nutrition is studied, how dietary recommendations are developed, and why these guidelines matter for health.
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The Art and Science of Personal Wellness
A.J. Stephen · Fanshawe College Pressboks · 2025
This educational resource is the official course textbook for Personal Wellness – INDS 1081 at Fanshawe College. Designed for today’s learners, it explores the eight core dimensions of wellness—physical, emotional, social, financial, spiritual, occupational, intellectual, and environmental—through a practical, evidence-informed lens.
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Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Immunology for Pre-Clinical Students
Jennifer Cleveland; Andrew Binks; Renée LeClair · Virginia Tech Publishing · 2025
Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Immunology for Pre-Clinical Students is a peer-reviewed open textbook designed to fill a gap in undergraduate medical education (UME) and support medical school pre-clerkship education. It covers the areas of immunology, microbiology, systems-based infections, and global mechanisms of treatment. It is aligned to USMLE(r) (United States Medical Licensing Examination) and modified from OpenStax Microbiology. The organization of this resource is driven by curricular structure to enhance integrated, multidisciplinary content delivery. This specific resource is intended to be used in various ways, mainly as a student quick-reference guide. The sections are not intended to be all-inclusive, but are primers for applied content delivery. The resource is organized into small chapters that can be used to support student preparation in any arrangement. Similarly, clinical context is only briefly discussed (or purposefully omitted) in order to allow the user to apply the basic content presented here in the clinical context used by their specific curricular structure. As cases and clinical correlates change regularly, it is beneficial to have flexible, short resources that can be applied to many scenarios.
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Fundamentals of Human Anatomy Laboratory Manual
Carly Manz · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2024
This laboratory manual is meant to be used in a lab course that accompanies a college-level introductory human anatomy course. It covers the language of anatomy, cells and tissues, and the organ systems that comprise the human body. Multiple open textbooks were adapted to create this lab manual. Attribution for these sources are provided at the end of each chapter.
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Radiobiology Textbook
Sarah Baatout · Springer · 2023
This open access textbook focuses on the various aspects of radiobiology. The goal of radiobiological research is to better understand the effects of radiation exposure at the cellular and molecular levels in order to determine the impact on health. This book offers a unique perspective, by covering not only radiation biology but also radiation physics, radiation oncology, radiotherapy, radiochemistry, radiopharmacy, nuclear medicine, space radiation biology & physics, environmental and human radiation protection, nuclear emergency planning, molecular biology and bioinformatics, as well as the ethical, legal and social considerations related to radiobiology. This range of disciplines contributes to making radiobiology a broad and rather complex topic. This textbook is intended to provide a solid foundation to those interested in the basics and practice of radiobiological science. It is a learning resource, meeting the needs of students, scientists and medical staff with an interest in this rapidly evolving discipline, as well as a teaching tool, with accompanying teaching material to help educators.
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Health Sciences Collection Development: An Overview of Fundamental Knowledge and Practices
Medical Library Association Collection Development Caucus; Karen Gau; Iris Kovar-Gough · Virginia Commonwealth University · 2023
This work was created by members of the Medical Library Association’s Collection Development Caucus to provide librarians with key concepts about health sciences collection development. The chapters provide an overview of the responsibilities and tasks involved in the development and management of health sciences collections; it is recommended that readers refer to the references and further reading sections in each chapter for a more detailed look at each topic. The first edition was published in 2019 and was updated with a second edition in 2023. This updated edition has a new section on unique collection genres; addresses Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in collections; incorporates significant updates to and expansion of previous content; and includes a glossary. New additions to each chapter, as applicable, include key communities and online courses for professional development.
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Human Reproduction
Hala Bastawros · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2023
This open textbook is designed to provide a deep understanding of the biological and biomedical aspects of human reproduction, covering a wide range of topics from basic reproductive biology to clinical applications. The book starts with foundational knowledge and progresses to more advanced topics while also including real-world clinical orientation for practical contexts.
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Community interventions in obesity-related chronic diseases
Sherri Cirignano; Sara Elnakib; Karen Ensle; Christine Zellers · Rutgers University Libraries (RUcore) · 2023
The rate of obesity continues to climb in the United States in all age groups. National reports, including the Trust for America’s Health annual report State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, highlight key findings and policy recommendations. The need to continue to work towards stabilization of the obesity epidemic could not be more important as consequences of this chronic disease can be dire, potentially affecting physical health with an increase in risk for chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer as well as potentially affecting behavioral health. Curbing the high rates of obesity is particularly of importance when considering the prevalence of childhood obesity, which is on the rise not only in the United States but is also increasing globally. Although there are certain risk factors such as genetics that are not modifiable in this group, there are many dietary, physical activity and environmental factors that are modifiable through lifestyle changes. This course will explore ways to address these lifestyle changes for children through adults with both federally- and NGO- based community interventions that are working towards combating overweight and obesity and how they aim to do so with a health equity lens in mind.
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Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Manual for Nursing and Allied Health
Aylin Marz; Ganesan Kamatchi; Joseph D'Silva; Krishnan Prabhakaran · Virginia's Academic Library Consortium (VIVA) · 2020
Authors’ Institution: Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA Funding: Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) Course Redesign Grant, 2020 – 2023
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The Science of Sleep
Sheryl Shook · Kapi'olani Community College · 2022
The Science of Sleep teaches us the vital importance of sleep and how it determines our mental and physical health. It explores the neuroscience of sleep and cultural, social, and political aspects of how people view sleep and are affected by sleep.
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Veterinary Histology
Ryan Jennings; Christopher Premanandan · Ohio State University Libraries · 2017
Veterinary Histology is a microscopic anatomy textbook focused on domestic species, including the dog, cat, cattle, horses, swine, and camelids. This digital textbook provides comprehensive, system-specific text as well as high-resolution, annotated images along with chapter-specific glossary of terms and learning objectives.
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Neuroscience for Pre-Clinical Students
Renée LeClair · Virginia Tech Publishing · 2022
Neuroscience for Pre-Clinical Students covers neuroenergetics, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and selected amino acid metabolism and degradation. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a first-year undergraduate medical course and is meant to provide the essential biochemical information from these content areas in a concise format to enable students to engage in an active classroom. Hence, it does not cover neurophysiology and neuroanatomy; and clinical correlates and additional application of content are intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have completed medical school prerequisites (including the MCAT) in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry that are essential to understand the content presented here. With its focus on high-yield concepts, this resource will assist the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation. The 49-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics. Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/interest-preclinical. Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal at https://www.oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133.
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Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students
Renee LeClair · Virginia Tech Publishing · 2021
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a course in first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have completed medical school prerequisites (including the MCAT) in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry that are essential to understand the content presented here. This resource should be assistive to the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation given the material is presented in a succinct manner, with a focus on high-yield concepts. The 276-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics. Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/interest-preclinical. Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal at https://www.oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133. Suggested Citation LeClair, Renée J., (2021). Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students, Blackburg, VA: Virginia Tech Publishing. https://doi.org/10.21061/cellbio. Licensed with CC BY NC-SA 4.0.
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Nutrition: Science and Everyday Application
Alice Callahan; Heather Leonard; Tamberly Powell · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2020
This book is designed as an Open Education Resource (OER) for introductory nutrition courses and has been adopted for use in high schools and colleges. Topics covered include basic nutrition and metabolism, information literacy, body weight and health, nutrition across life stages, dietary supplements, an in-depth look at each of the macronutrients, and major functions of vitamins and minerals. The second edition of Nutrition: Science and Everyday Application was released in August 2022. The second edition includes a fully revised Unit 7 (Body Weight and Health) and minor revisions to Unit 10 (Nutrition and Physical Activity). In June 2023, Unit 2 (Nutrition Science and Information Literacy) was significantly updated along with the ancillary materials for Unit 2. The remainder of the OER and the accompanying ancillary materials are the same as the first edition, originally published in