Infestation with the highly infectious mite Sarcoptes scabiei results in the painful skin conditi... more Infestation with the highly infectious mite Sarcoptes scabiei results in the painful skin condition scabies. The connection between infestation with this parasite and the development of disease is generally credited to the 17th century Italian scientist Giovanni Cosimo Bonomo. However, it took centuries until this was fully accepted. Nevertheless, scabies is considered to be the first human disease whose underlying cause was correctly identified. This is the story of the discovery and acceptance of the Sarcoptic Mite as the cause of scabies. Scabies continues to be a major worldwide problem, recently recognised by WHO as a Neglected Tropical Disease.
Who are the Facebook Swift fans? Female, Middle aged, and Committed! Our research looking at thos... more Who are the Facebook Swift fans? Female, Middle aged, and Committed! Our research looking at those who follow Swifts on Social Media We feel it is important and shows that women are interested in conservation and indicates how they can be engaged in conservation Uses of Facebooks forums has become a popular way for those interested in wildlife, and in particular Swifts, to connect with others. Me and my colleague Hakan Lane of the University of Mainz wanted to investigate who joined Facebook Swift groups and what they did for swifts. We this developed a questionnaire. We found that a large proportion of such Social Media Swift fans are women; we feel this is important as traditionally conservation has been male dominated. Maybe Social Media sites offer women a chance to engage in conservation which traditional conservation activities do not, maybe because of time and family constraints? This shows that Social Media is a valuable way to engage women into conservation; we felt these results were of interest and important and deserved sharing.
Thank you to my friend Hakan Lane for his advice and guidance with this work.
This is a chapter from 'The Hoofed Animals of the World'. It covers the Family Cervidae, the true... more This is a chapter from 'The Hoofed Animals of the World'. It covers the Family Cervidae, the true deer. Two main groups are recognized, the Cervinae, or Old World Deer, and the Capreolinae, the New World Deer.
Digital Learning: How modern technology is changing education, 2024
This is the first chapter of my book 'Digital Learning: How modern technology is changing educati... more This is the first chapter of my book 'Digital Learning: How modern technology is changing education'. Available from Amazon. Search for 'digital learning mark walker'.
Suggested citation: Walker, M.D. What is Digital Learning? In: Digital Learning. How modern technology is changing education. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield U.K., 2024.
Journal of Medical Internet Research Dermatology, 2023
We examined internet searches on psoriasis in Germany and found that in weeks with high search vo... more We examined internet searches on psoriasis in Germany and found that in weeks with high search volume, mean temperature and humidity were lower and sunshine level was higher compared to weeks with low search volume.
Scabies is a pruritic skin condition transmitted by Sarcoptic mites. It has long been known that ... more Scabies is a pruritic skin condition transmitted by Sarcoptic mites. It has long been known that the scabies incidence fluctuates over time. That this occurs cyclically has long been suspected, with seven, 15-and 30-year periods of cycling being suggested. Google's NGram Viewer shows the frequency that words are used in historical documents. Data for the word 'scabies' in the British English corpus was examined from 1800 onwards. Spectral analysis was performed with the periodicity of cycles determined using periodograms. Spectral analysis indicated that from 1800 to 2000 cycle frequency was 32 years. This research demonstrates how epidemiological questions can be answered using novel data sources. Walker MD. Examining the cyclical nature of scabies using historical texts.
Head lice remain a widespread and persistent problem. Children between the ages of 4 and 11 are m... more Head lice remain a widespread and persistent problem. Children between the ages of 4 and 11 are most likely to become infested, but all age groups can be affected. Although the detrimental effects of head lice are minimal, infestation can nevertheless cause considerable personal distress, result in stigmatization, and lead to lost school days. Resistance to the chemical insecticides traditionally used in control has become an increasing problem, leading to an emphasis on alternatives. Here, characteristics of infestation are described and treatment options compared. Closure of schools and social restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 are likely to have reduced the occurrence of this parasite. However, the relaxation of such restrictions means these parasites are likely to become an increasing problem again, making reevaluation pertinent. SUMMARY Head lice remain common and following the end of COVID-19 restrictions the likelihood of children experiencing infestation is likely to increase, making re-examination of this parasite pertinent.
ObjectivesThe incidence of STIs is likely to be related to levels of social activity and mobility... more ObjectivesThe incidence of STIs is likely to be related to levels of social activity and mobility. Novel datasets detailing levels of social activity were made widely available during the COVID-19 pandemic. These allow the relationship between activity and STI incidence to be examined.MethodsThe correlation between social activities and the reported number of gonorrhoea cases between March and December 2020 in Germany was studied. Regression through Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series modelling identified those activities associated with case numbers.ResultsARIMA regression identified a significant association with ‘transit’ activity within the Apple data and ‘parks’ within Google.ConclusionsThis study illustrates the potential newly available measures of social activity provided for STI research. Reductions in STI incidence are likely to have occurred due to COVID-19 social restrictions. Although other studies report reductions in infectious diseases during...
Ticks are parasites classified within the subclass Acari, which includes other parasites such as ... more Ticks are parasites classified within the subclass Acari, which includes other parasites such as mites. Ticks feed exclusively on the blood of host animals and are important pests of dogs and cats, capable of spreading a range of pathogens. The identification and treatment of ticks and these pathogens is described.
How heavy is your pet Tyrannosaurus rex? Accurately ascertaining the mass of a large carnivorous ... more How heavy is your pet Tyrannosaurus rex? Accurately ascertaining the mass of a large carnivorous dinosaur is a challenging task for most students. Here, a simple method using model dinosaurs and some straightforward mathematics is provided. This is considerably more practical and safer than weighing the living dinosaur itself.
Google's ‘Community Mobility Reports’ (CMR) detail changes in activity and mobility occurring... more Google's ‘Community Mobility Reports’ (CMR) detail changes in activity and mobility occurring in response to COVID-19. They thus offer the unique opportunity to examine the relationship between mobility and disease incidence. The objective was to examine whether an association between COVID-19-confirmed case numbers and levels of mobility was apparent, and if so then to examine whether such data enhance disease modelling and prediction. CMR data for countries worldwide were cross-correlated with corresponding COVID-19-confirmed case numbers. Models were fitted to explain case numbers of each country's epidemic. Models using numerical date, contemporaneous and distributed lag CMR data were contrasted using Bayesian Information Criteria. Noticeable were negative correlations between CMR data and case incidence for prominent industrialised countries of Western Europe and the North Americas. Continent-wide examination found a negative correlation for all continents with the exce...
The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic offers a unique opportunity to conduct an infodemiolo... more The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic offers a unique opportunity to conduct an infodemiological study examining patterns in online searching activity about a specific disease and how this relates to news media within a specific country. Google Trends quantifies volumes of online activity. The relative search volume was obtained for ‘Coronavirus’, ‘handwashing’, ‘face mask’ and symptom related keywords, for the United Kingdom, from the date of the first confirmed case until numbers peaked in April. The relationship between online search traffic and confirmed case numbers was examined. Search volumes varied over time; peaks appear related to events in the progression of the epidemic which were reported in the media. Search activity on ‘Coronavirus’ correlated well against confirmed case number as did ‘face mask’ and symptom-related keywords. User-generated online data sources such as Google Trends may aid disease surveillance, being more responsive to changes in disease occurre...
Infestation with the highly infectious mite Sarcoptes scabiei results in the painful skin conditi... more Infestation with the highly infectious mite Sarcoptes scabiei results in the painful skin condition scabies. The connection between infestation with this parasite and the development of disease is generally credited to the 17th century Italian scientist Giovanni Cosimo Bonomo. However, it took centuries until this was fully accepted. Nevertheless, scabies is considered to be the first human disease whose underlying cause was correctly identified. This is the story of the discovery and acceptance of the Sarcoptic Mite as the cause of scabies. Scabies continues to be a major worldwide problem, recently recognised by WHO as a Neglected Tropical Disease.
Who are the Facebook Swift fans? Female, Middle aged, and Committed! Our research looking at thos... more Who are the Facebook Swift fans? Female, Middle aged, and Committed! Our research looking at those who follow Swifts on Social Media We feel it is important and shows that women are interested in conservation and indicates how they can be engaged in conservation Uses of Facebooks forums has become a popular way for those interested in wildlife, and in particular Swifts, to connect with others. Me and my colleague Hakan Lane of the University of Mainz wanted to investigate who joined Facebook Swift groups and what they did for swifts. We this developed a questionnaire. We found that a large proportion of such Social Media Swift fans are women; we feel this is important as traditionally conservation has been male dominated. Maybe Social Media sites offer women a chance to engage in conservation which traditional conservation activities do not, maybe because of time and family constraints? This shows that Social Media is a valuable way to engage women into conservation; we felt these results were of interest and important and deserved sharing.
Thank you to my friend Hakan Lane for his advice and guidance with this work.
This is a chapter from 'The Hoofed Animals of the World'. It covers the Family Cervidae, the true... more This is a chapter from 'The Hoofed Animals of the World'. It covers the Family Cervidae, the true deer. Two main groups are recognized, the Cervinae, or Old World Deer, and the Capreolinae, the New World Deer.
Digital Learning: How modern technology is changing education, 2024
This is the first chapter of my book 'Digital Learning: How modern technology is changing educati... more This is the first chapter of my book 'Digital Learning: How modern technology is changing education'. Available from Amazon. Search for 'digital learning mark walker'.
Suggested citation: Walker, M.D. What is Digital Learning? In: Digital Learning. How modern technology is changing education. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield U.K., 2024.
Journal of Medical Internet Research Dermatology, 2023
We examined internet searches on psoriasis in Germany and found that in weeks with high search vo... more We examined internet searches on psoriasis in Germany and found that in weeks with high search volume, mean temperature and humidity were lower and sunshine level was higher compared to weeks with low search volume.
Scabies is a pruritic skin condition transmitted by Sarcoptic mites. It has long been known that ... more Scabies is a pruritic skin condition transmitted by Sarcoptic mites. It has long been known that the scabies incidence fluctuates over time. That this occurs cyclically has long been suspected, with seven, 15-and 30-year periods of cycling being suggested. Google's NGram Viewer shows the frequency that words are used in historical documents. Data for the word 'scabies' in the British English corpus was examined from 1800 onwards. Spectral analysis was performed with the periodicity of cycles determined using periodograms. Spectral analysis indicated that from 1800 to 2000 cycle frequency was 32 years. This research demonstrates how epidemiological questions can be answered using novel data sources. Walker MD. Examining the cyclical nature of scabies using historical texts.
Head lice remain a widespread and persistent problem. Children between the ages of 4 and 11 are m... more Head lice remain a widespread and persistent problem. Children between the ages of 4 and 11 are most likely to become infested, but all age groups can be affected. Although the detrimental effects of head lice are minimal, infestation can nevertheless cause considerable personal distress, result in stigmatization, and lead to lost school days. Resistance to the chemical insecticides traditionally used in control has become an increasing problem, leading to an emphasis on alternatives. Here, characteristics of infestation are described and treatment options compared. Closure of schools and social restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 are likely to have reduced the occurrence of this parasite. However, the relaxation of such restrictions means these parasites are likely to become an increasing problem again, making reevaluation pertinent. SUMMARY Head lice remain common and following the end of COVID-19 restrictions the likelihood of children experiencing infestation is likely to increase, making re-examination of this parasite pertinent.
ObjectivesThe incidence of STIs is likely to be related to levels of social activity and mobility... more ObjectivesThe incidence of STIs is likely to be related to levels of social activity and mobility. Novel datasets detailing levels of social activity were made widely available during the COVID-19 pandemic. These allow the relationship between activity and STI incidence to be examined.MethodsThe correlation between social activities and the reported number of gonorrhoea cases between March and December 2020 in Germany was studied. Regression through Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series modelling identified those activities associated with case numbers.ResultsARIMA regression identified a significant association with ‘transit’ activity within the Apple data and ‘parks’ within Google.ConclusionsThis study illustrates the potential newly available measures of social activity provided for STI research. Reductions in STI incidence are likely to have occurred due to COVID-19 social restrictions. Although other studies report reductions in infectious diseases during...
Ticks are parasites classified within the subclass Acari, which includes other parasites such as ... more Ticks are parasites classified within the subclass Acari, which includes other parasites such as mites. Ticks feed exclusively on the blood of host animals and are important pests of dogs and cats, capable of spreading a range of pathogens. The identification and treatment of ticks and these pathogens is described.
How heavy is your pet Tyrannosaurus rex? Accurately ascertaining the mass of a large carnivorous ... more How heavy is your pet Tyrannosaurus rex? Accurately ascertaining the mass of a large carnivorous dinosaur is a challenging task for most students. Here, a simple method using model dinosaurs and some straightforward mathematics is provided. This is considerably more practical and safer than weighing the living dinosaur itself.
Google's ‘Community Mobility Reports’ (CMR) detail changes in activity and mobility occurring... more Google's ‘Community Mobility Reports’ (CMR) detail changes in activity and mobility occurring in response to COVID-19. They thus offer the unique opportunity to examine the relationship between mobility and disease incidence. The objective was to examine whether an association between COVID-19-confirmed case numbers and levels of mobility was apparent, and if so then to examine whether such data enhance disease modelling and prediction. CMR data for countries worldwide were cross-correlated with corresponding COVID-19-confirmed case numbers. Models were fitted to explain case numbers of each country's epidemic. Models using numerical date, contemporaneous and distributed lag CMR data were contrasted using Bayesian Information Criteria. Noticeable were negative correlations between CMR data and case incidence for prominent industrialised countries of Western Europe and the North Americas. Continent-wide examination found a negative correlation for all continents with the exce...
The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic offers a unique opportunity to conduct an infodemiolo... more The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic offers a unique opportunity to conduct an infodemiological study examining patterns in online searching activity about a specific disease and how this relates to news media within a specific country. Google Trends quantifies volumes of online activity. The relative search volume was obtained for ‘Coronavirus’, ‘handwashing’, ‘face mask’ and symptom related keywords, for the United Kingdom, from the date of the first confirmed case until numbers peaked in April. The relationship between online search traffic and confirmed case numbers was examined. Search volumes varied over time; peaks appear related to events in the progression of the epidemic which were reported in the media. Search activity on ‘Coronavirus’ correlated well against confirmed case number as did ‘face mask’ and symptom-related keywords. User-generated online data sources such as Google Trends may aid disease surveillance, being more responsive to changes in disease occurre...
What is Digital Health? This is the first chapter from Walker, MD. Digital Health: How modern tec... more What is Digital Health? This is the first chapter from Walker, MD. Digital Health: How modern technology is changing medicine and healthcare. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield UK. 9781446755969
Walker, MD. Chapter 9: Human Fleas. In: The parasites upon us; a guide to some of our external pa... more Walker, MD. Chapter 9: Human Fleas. In: The parasites upon us; a guide to some of our external parasites and the diseases they cause. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield, UK. 2024.
The parasites upon us: A guide to some of our external parasites and the diseases they cause. , 2024
Demodectic Mites are usually not considered to be an actual parasite of humans. Instead they are ... more Demodectic Mites are usually not considered to be an actual parasite of humans. Instead they are usually considered to be a normal inhabitant of our skin, typically causing no detrimental effects.
Walker, MD. Chapter 3: Demodectic Mites. In: The parasites upon us: A guide to some of our external parasites and the diseases they cause. Sicklebrook pubilshing, Sheffield, UK. 2024
School attendance data can be used for disease surveillance purposes and to identify disease outb... more School attendance data can be used for disease surveillance purposes and to identify disease outbreaks. This chapter from the book 'Digital Epidemiology: an introduction to disease surveillance using digital data' introduces this topic.
Walker, MD. Digital Epidemiology: an introduction to disease surveillance using digital data. 2023. Sicklebrook publishing; Sheffield UK. ISBN: 9781470920364
What is digital health? This is a sample of the first chapter of the book 'Digital Health: How mo... more What is digital health? This is a sample of the first chapter of the book 'Digital Health: How modern technology is changing medicine and healthcare'. This can be purchased from Amazon. ISBN: 9781446755969.
Digital Health: How Modern Technology is Changing Medicine and Healthcare, 2023
Digital Health can be defined as the use of technology to improve individual healthcare. This boo... more Digital Health can be defined as the use of technology to improve individual healthcare. This book provides an introduction and covers; Electronic Health Records, wearables, Social Media in Medicine, AI in Medicine, Telehealth, and the Internet of Medical Things.
Available to purchase from Amazon, search 'mark walker digital health' OR:
This is the content page from my book on Digital Learning. It can be purchased through Amazon. Se... more This is the content page from my book on Digital Learning. It can be purchased through Amazon. Search for 'digital learning mark walker'
This is an online copy of my book 'British Lichens; Biology, Ecology, and use as Bioindicators'. ... more This is an online copy of my book 'British Lichens; Biology, Ecology, and use as Bioindicators'.
A hard copy version can be purchased from Lulu for £10, which is cost price, by following the link below.
Digital Epidemiology is the investigation of population level health and disease using new source... more Digital Epidemiology is the investigation of population level health and disease using new sources of data that have become available through technological development. These include the internet, social media, electronic patient records, sales data, and mobile phone data.
Walker, M.D. 2019. Sphagnum: the biology of a habitat manipulator. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffi... more Walker, M.D. 2019. Sphagnum: the biology of a habitat manipulator. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield, U.K.
Please cite as: Walker, M.D. 2016. First Impressions: Body language for job interviews. Sicklebro... more Please cite as: Walker, M.D. 2016. First Impressions: Body language for job interviews. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield, U.K.
Walker, M.D. 2019. Sphagnum: the biology of a habitat manipulator. Sicklebrook publishing. Sheffi... more Walker, M.D. 2019. Sphagnum: the biology of a habitat manipulator. Sicklebrook publishing. Sheffield; U.K.
Sphagnum mosses are key species in the preservation of peatland moorlands. There unique biological features act to ensure moorland remains wet- thus they are habitat manipulators, able to create conditions best suited for themselves.
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Papers by Mark D Walker
Uses of Facebooks forums has become a popular way for those interested in wildlife, and in particular Swifts, to connect with others. Me and my colleague Hakan Lane of the University of Mainz wanted to investigate who joined Facebook Swift groups and what they did for swifts. We this developed a questionnaire.
We found that a large proportion of such Social Media Swift fans are women; we feel this is important as traditionally conservation has been male dominated. Maybe Social Media sites offer women a chance to engage in conservation which traditional conservation activities do not, maybe because of time and family constraints? This shows that Social Media is a valuable way to engage women into conservation; we felt these results were of interest and important and deserved sharing.
Thank you to my friend Hakan Lane for his advice and guidance with this work.
The book can be purchased from lulu:
www.lulu.com/shop/mark-walker/the-hoofed-animals-of-the-world/paperback/product-m22222p.html?q=the+hoofed+animals+of+the+world&page=1&pageSize=4
Please cite as:
Walker, MD. The Hoofed Animals of the World. Sicklebrook publishing: Sheffield, U.K., 2024.
Suggested citation:
Walker, M.D. What is Digital Learning? In: Digital Learning. How modern technology is changing education. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield U.K., 2024.
Walker, M.D. 2023. Digital Epidemiology. Sicklebrook Publishing, Sheffield, U.K.
Available to purchase: www.lulu.com/shop/mark-walker/digital-epidemiology/paperback/product-8p5gpp.html?page=1&pageSize=4
Uses of Facebooks forums has become a popular way for those interested in wildlife, and in particular Swifts, to connect with others. Me and my colleague Hakan Lane of the University of Mainz wanted to investigate who joined Facebook Swift groups and what they did for swifts. We this developed a questionnaire.
We found that a large proportion of such Social Media Swift fans are women; we feel this is important as traditionally conservation has been male dominated. Maybe Social Media sites offer women a chance to engage in conservation which traditional conservation activities do not, maybe because of time and family constraints? This shows that Social Media is a valuable way to engage women into conservation; we felt these results were of interest and important and deserved sharing.
Thank you to my friend Hakan Lane for his advice and guidance with this work.
The book can be purchased from lulu:
www.lulu.com/shop/mark-walker/the-hoofed-animals-of-the-world/paperback/product-m22222p.html?q=the+hoofed+animals+of+the+world&page=1&pageSize=4
Please cite as:
Walker, MD. The Hoofed Animals of the World. Sicklebrook publishing: Sheffield, U.K., 2024.
Suggested citation:
Walker, M.D. What is Digital Learning? In: Digital Learning. How modern technology is changing education. Sicklebrook publishing, Sheffield U.K., 2024.
Walker, M.D. 2023. Digital Epidemiology. Sicklebrook Publishing, Sheffield, U.K.
Available to purchase: www.lulu.com/shop/mark-walker/digital-epidemiology/paperback/product-8p5gpp.html?page=1&pageSize=4
Walker, MD. Chapter 3: Demodectic Mites. In: The parasites upon us: A guide to some of our external parasites and the diseases they cause. Sicklebrook pubilshing, Sheffield, UK. 2024
Walker, MD. Digital Epidemiology: an introduction to disease surveillance using digital data. 2023. Sicklebrook publishing; Sheffield UK. ISBN: 9781470920364
Available to purchase from Amazon, search 'mark walker digital health' OR:
www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Health-technology-changing-healthcare/dp/1446755967/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CRX3B3LU6D12&keywords=digital+health+mark+walker&qid=1708103249&sprefix=digital+health+walker+%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-1
A hard copy version can be purchased from Lulu for £10, which is cost price, by following the link below.
www.lulu.com/shop/mark-walker/british-lichens-biology-ecology-and-use-as-bioindicators/paperback/product-p66zjdq.html?q=british+lichens&page=1&pageSize=4
Can be purchased from: www.lulu.com/shop/mark-walker/teaching-inquiry-based-science/paperback/product-12j2wzp2.html?q=teaching+inquiry+based+science&page=1&pageSize=4.
Sphagnum mosses are key species in the preservation of peatland moorlands. There unique biological features act to ensure moorland remains wet- thus they are habitat manipulators, able to create conditions best suited for themselves.