Predicting Body Mass from the Skeleton with an Application to the Georgia Coast

Body mass has been studied in multiple subfields within anthropology, including paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, biomechanics, and forensics. Most previous studies that focused on predicting mass from the skeleton utilized population averages, living subjects, and/or small sample sizes. This study sought to create an individualized predictive model of body mass estimation from multiple skeletal elements. The new multiple element model was then compared to three models currently used by anthropologists. Three hypotheses were tested: 1) the multiple element model has a lower predictive error than the other models, 2) upper limb elements will predict mass more accurately and 3) articular dimensions predict mass more accurately. All three hypotheses were rejected in favor of mixed models. The multiple element model predicted mass (for males and females) and the Grine and colleagues femoral head model (for females only) had low predictive error. Both upper and lower limbs as well as diaphyseal and articular dimensions were selected as significant predictors in the multiple element model. Improved estimation of body mass is used to address our understanding of the behavioral and cultural changes that occurred with the transition to agriculture on the Georgia coast. Social stratification within societies is of great importance in anthropology, as it helps us to see how past peoples interacted, lived, and were organized. In some instances, it becomes difficult to determine when social stratification developed due to a lack of preservation of artifacts indicative of status. In such cases, it is necessary to develop multiple avenues to determine the level of stratification within a society. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) agricultural populations had significantly greater mean mass relative to height (body mass index) than the earlier hunter-gatherers, and 2) agriculturalists display a significantly greater variance, and/or distribution of body mass indices than hunter gatherers. Both hypotheses were rejected as no significant difference in the mean, variance or distribution in BMI values was found between hunter gatherers and agriculturalists. Although a significant difference is not seen between pre-agricultural and agricultural groups, further analyses are warranted before using the distribution of body mass as a proxy for social status are abandoned

Inter-Observer Agreement on Subjects' Race and Race-Informative Characteristics

Health and socioeconomic disparities tend to be experienced along racial and ethnic lines, but investigators are not sure how individuals are assigned to groups, or how consistent this process is. To address these issues, 1,919 orthodontic patient records were examined by at least two observers who estimated each individual's race and the characteristics that influenced each estimate. Agreement regarding race is high for African and European Americans, but not as high for Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans. The indicator observers most often agreed upon as important in estimating group membership is name, especially for Asian and Hispanic Americans. The observers, who were almost all European American, most often agreed that skin color is an important indicator of race only when they also agreed the subject was European American. This suggests that in a diverse community, light skin color is associated with a particular group, while a range of darker shades can be associated with members of any other group. This research supports comparable studies showing that race estimations in medical records are likely reliable for African and European Americans, but are less so for other groups. Further, these results show that skin color is not consistently the primary indicator of an individual's race, but that other characteristics such as facial features add significant information

Predicting Body Mass From the Skeleton with an Application to the Georgia Coast

Body mass has been studied in multiple subfields within anthropology, including paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, biomechanics, and forensics. Most previous studies that focused on predicting mass from the skeleton utilized population averages, living subjects, and/or small sample sizes. This study sought to create an individualized predictive model of body mass estimation from multiple skeletal elements. The new multiple element model was then compared to three models currently used by anthropologists. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) the multiple element model has a lower predictive error than the other models, (2) upper limb elements will predict mass more accurately and (3) articular dimensions predict mass more accurately. All three hypotheses were rejected in favor of mixed models. The multiple element model predicted mass (for males and females) and the Grine and colleagues femoral head model (for females only) had low predictive error. Both upper and lower limbs as well as diaphyseal and articular dimensions were selected as significant predictors in the multiple element model. Improved estimation of body mass is used to address our understanding of the behavioral and cultural changes that occurred with the transition to agriculture on the Georgia coast. Social stratification within societies is of great importance in anthropology, as it helps us to see how past peoples interacted, lived, and were organized. In some instances, it becomes difficult to determine when social stratification developed due to a lack of preservation of artifacts indicative of status. In such cases, it is necessary to develop multiple avenues to determine the level of stratification within a society. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) agricultural populations had significantly greater mean mass relative to height (body mass index) than the earlier hunter-gatherers, and (2) agriculturalists display a significantly greater variance, and/or distribution of body mass indices than hunter gatherers. Both hypotheses were rejected as no significant difference in the mean, variance or distribution in BMI values was found between hunter gatherers and agriculturalists. Although a significant difference is not seen between pre-agricultural and agricultural groups, further analyses are warranted before using the distribution of body mass as a proxy for social status are abandoned

Predicting Body Mass from the Skeleton with an Application to the Georgia Coast

Body mass has been studied in multiple subfields within anthropology, including paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, biomechanics, and forensics. Most previous studies that focused on predicting mass from the skeleton utilized population averages, living subjects, and/or small sample sizes. This study sought to create an individualized predictive model of body mass estimation from multiple skeletal elements. The new multiple element model was then compared to three models currently used by anthropologists. Three hypotheses were tested: 1) the multiple element model has a lower predictive error than the other models, 2) upper limb elements will predict mass more accurately and 3) articular dimensions predict mass more accurately. All three hypotheses were rejected in favor of mixed models. The multiple element model predicted mass (for males and females) and the Grine and colleagues femoral head model (for females only) had low predictive error. Both upper and lower limbs as well as diaphyseal and articular dimensions were selected as significant predictors in the multiple element model. Improved estimation of body mass is used to address our understanding of the behavioral and cultural changes that occurred with the transition to agriculture on the Georgia coast. Social stratification within societies is of great importance in anthropology, as it helps us to see how past peoples interacted, lived, and were organized. In some instances, it becomes difficult to determine when social stratification developed due to a lack of preservation of artifacts indicative of status. In such cases, it is necessary to develop multiple avenues to determine the level of stratification within a society. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) agricultural populations had significantly greater mean mass relative to height (body mass index) than the earlier hunter-gatherers, and 2) agriculturalists display a significantly greater variance, and/or distribution of body mass indices than hunter gatherers. Both hypotheses were rejected as no significant difference in the mean, variance or distribution in BMI values was found between hunter gatherers and agriculturalists. Although a significant difference is not seen between pre-agricultural and agricultural groups, further analyses are warranted before using the distribution of body mass as a proxy for social status are abandoned.AnthropologyDoctoralUniversity of New Mexico. Dept. of AnthropologyPearson, OsbjornEdgar, Heather JHBedrick, EdwardKonigsberg, Lyl

Celebrating 10 years of the BioMISS: a case study and observations about a successful biomedical informatics seminar series

Abstract OBJECTIVE: This poster describes the experience of organizing and hosting the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library & Informatics Centers (UNM HSLIC) Biomedical Informatics Seminar Series (BioMISS). The BioMISS is a CME-accredited, bimonthly program of one-hour invited presentations, with active participant discussion on current topics in biomedical informatics. The goals of the series are to 1) provide a broad overview of salient topics in the field of Biomedical Informatics, 2) provide a forum that fosters interdisciplinary cross-collaboration for research, and 3) provide a forum for Biomedical Informatics fellows, HSC faculty and others to present Biomedical Informatics-related research. METHODS: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of data collected from nine years of seminars about the presenters, their topics, and participants\u27 evaluations was conducted. The goal of the analysis was to identify key factors associated with the success of the series so colleagues contemplating organizing a similar program might benefit. RESULTS: The series occurred approximately 14 times during each academic year. Speakers came from the host institution as well as from multiple external sites such as Sandia National Labs and the State Office of the Medical Investigator. Topics included myriad informatics subjects. Some key factors of success identified are a well-thought out advertising campaign, a regular day and time, and introductions by all attendees at the start of the seminar. CONCLUSIONS: A health sciences library can be the nidus for a vibrant and sustaining seminar series in biomedical informatics that successfully draws in a diverse and interdisciplinary group of presenters and participants.\u27https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hslic-posters-presentations/1047/thumbnail.jp

Medical student perceptions of assessments of clinical reasoning in a general surgery clerkship

Abstract Background Components factoring into general surgery clerkship grades vary by institution, and while evaluators attempt to remain unbiased when evaluating medical student performance, subjectivity and implicit bias remain an issue. Our institution recently implemented a case-based structured oral examination to provide the general surgery clerkship director objective insight into students’ clinical reasoning skills. We hypothesized that medical students believe this exam, along with graded clinical documentation and the Observed Standardized Clinical Encounter (OSCE), are fair assessments and increase students’ awareness of their clinical reasoning skills. Methods A survey was sent to third-year medical students in the classes of 2023 and 2024 at our institution who had completed their general surgery clerkship. Students rated five grading assessments (i.e., preceptor evaluations, the oral examination, clinical documentation, the OSCE, and the shelf exam) on fairness and the ability of the assessment to give them insight into their clinical reasoning on a five-point Likert scale 1–5 (with 1 = Strongly Agree, 5 = Strongly Disagree). Results One hundred and ten of 162 (67.9%) students responded to the survey. The shelf examination was the most highly regarded assessment tool followed by the oral examination. Seventy-three percent agreed or strongly agreed that the oral exam was a fair assessment, and 80% agreed or strongly agreed that it gave them insight into their clinical reasoning skills. Alternatively, only 41.8% of students agreed or strongly agreed that preceptor evaluations were fair assessments and 42.7% agreed or strongly agreed that it gave them insight into their clinical reasoning. Conclusions Third-year medical students on a general surgery clerkship favor the shelf examination and a case-based oral examination over other assessment tools regarding fairness and perception of their clinical reasoning. This type of examination can provide general surgery clerkship directors with additional objective data to assess medical students more fairly and improve students’ clinical reasoning

Celebrating 10 years of the BioMISS: a case study and observations about a successful biomedical informatics seminar series

Poster presented at the MLA/South Central Chapter Annual Meeting, Fort Worth, TX, October 28, 2013Abstract OBJECTIVE: This poster describes the experience of organizing and hosting the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center’s (UNM HSLIC) Biomedical Informatics Seminar Series (BioMISS). The BioMISS is a CME-accredited, bimonthly program of one-hour invited presentations, with active participant discussion on current topics in biomedical informatics. The goals of the series are to 1) provide a broad overview of salient topics in the field of Biomedical Informatics, 2) provide a forum that fosters interdisciplinary cross-collaboration for research, and 3) provide a forum for Biomedical Informatics fellows, HSC faculty and others to present Biomedical Informatics-related research. METHODS: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of data collected from nine years of seminars about the presenters, their topics, and participants’ evaluations was conducted. The goal of the analysis was to identify key factors associated with the success of the series so colleagues contemplating organizing a similar program might benefit. RESULTS: The series occurred approximately 14 times during each academic year. Speakers came from the host institution as well as from multiple external sites such as Sandia National Labs and the State Office of the Medical Investigator. Topics included myriad informatics subjects. Some key factors of success identified are a well-thought out advertising campaign, a regular day and time, and introductions by all attendees at the start of the seminar. CONCLUSIONS: A health sciences library can be the nidus for a vibrant and sustaining seminar series in biomedical informatics that successfully draws in a diverse and interdisciplinary group of presenters and participants

Error and bias in race and ethnicity descriptions in medical examiner records in New Mexico: Consequences for understanding mortality among Hispanic/Latinos

Researchers use public records from deceased individuals to identify trends in manners and causes of death. Errors in the description of race and ethnicity can affect the inferences researchers draw, adversely impacting public health policies designed to eliminate health inequity. Using the New Mexico Decedent Image Database, we examine: 1) the accuracy of death investigator descriptions of race and ethnicity by comparing their reports to those from next of kin (NOK), 2) the impact of decedent age and sex on disagreement between death investigators and NOK, and 3) the relationship between investigators’ descriptions of decedent race and ethnicity and cause and manner of death from forensic pathologists (n = 1813). Results demonstrate that investigators frequently describe race and ethnicity incorrectly for Hispanic/Latino decedents, especially regarding homicide manner of death and injury and substance abuse causes of death. Inaccuracies may cause biased misperceptions of violence within specific communities and affect investigative processes

Ancestry Estimation in a Web-based, Searchable Database of Orthodontic Case Files for Patient Care, Education, and Research

In 2005, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology accepted a donation of orthodontic patient records from an orthodontist who has been practicing in the Albuquerque area since the early 1970s. This collection represents a diversity of patients not often encountered in orthodontic training in the United States. A virtual, de-identified, web-based version of a subset of the collection is now being developed. Users can search for cases with particular characteristics of interest (e.g., patient ancestry, extraction patterns, diagnoses, and cephalometric parameters), then review sequential intra-oral and Xray images to observe treatment outcomes. An innovative feature of the database is that it records multiple ancestry estimations, made at multiple points in time by multiple raters, along with a list of ancestry indicators on which the estimations are made (e.g., skin color, hair form and color, facial shape, name, and locality). This poster describes how the database can be used to overcome the limited diversity in the patient populations available to most orthodontics trainees. When this project concludes, the database will contain approximately 400,000 digitized images from 5650 individual cases.\u27https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hslic-posters-presentations/1018/thumbnail.jp