Introduction: Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy may confer developmental risk to the foetus due to caffeine’s ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and blood placental barrier (BPB). This literature review investigated caffeine’s properties and mechanism of passage through the BBB and BPB. The subsequent effects of moderate-to-excessive maternal caffeine consumption (≥ 200mg of caffeine daily) on physical development, cognition, and behaviour were further explored. Methods: The review was conducted using PubMED, NCBI, and Google Scholar, using key terms such as “pregnancy”, “caffeine”, “prenatal”, “adverse effect”, “development”, and “embryo development”. Articles selected were published within the last 15 years (2008-2023) and longitudinal studies, cohort studies, and experimental methods using animal models were included. Results: It was found prenatal caffeine exposure poses a variety of potential consequences for the infant prior to and after delivery. Notably, physical developmental risks include fetal growth restriction, birth defect(s), and changes in neuronal structure and blood flow. Cognitive and behavioural consequences include possible links to externalizing behaviour problems, decreased intelligence quotient (IQ), attentive deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during childhood. Discussion: This research is primarily restricted to animal models and cohort studies. Moroever, there were several conflicting conclusions surrounding behavioural and cognitive effects of prenatal caffeine exposure. This drives inquiry into how further research can both solidify causal relationships and be conducted ethically to help inform parents about the potential risks of prenatal caffeine exposure. Conclusion: With a global trend of increasing caffeine consumption, through coffee, black tea, and recently, matcha, this review provided insight into this ever-growing aspect of our lifestyles. It is paramount to understand the effect of caffeine on foetuses to promote safe and healthy pregnancy outcomes.
{"title":"The Physiological, Cognitive, and Developmental Effects of Prenatal Caffeine Consumption on Foetal Pregnancy Outcomes","authors":"Prutha H. Patel, Carly Burow","doi":"10.26685/urncst.480","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.480","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy may confer developmental risk to the foetus due to caffeine’s ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and blood placental barrier (BPB). This literature review investigated caffeine’s properties and mechanism of passage through the BBB and BPB. The subsequent effects of moderate-to-excessive maternal caffeine consumption (≥ 200mg of caffeine daily) on physical development, cognition, and behaviour were further explored. Methods: The review was conducted using PubMED, NCBI, and Google Scholar, using key terms such as “pregnancy”, “caffeine”, “prenatal”, “adverse effect”, “development”, and “embryo development”. Articles selected were published within the last 15 years (2008-2023) and longitudinal studies, cohort studies, and experimental methods using animal models were included. Results: It was found prenatal caffeine exposure poses a variety of potential consequences for the infant prior to and after delivery. Notably, physical developmental risks include fetal growth restriction, birth defect(s), and changes in neuronal structure and blood flow. Cognitive and behavioural consequences include possible links to externalizing behaviour problems, decreased intelligence quotient (IQ), attentive deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during childhood. Discussion: This research is primarily restricted to animal models and cohort studies. Moroever, there were several conflicting conclusions surrounding behavioural and cognitive effects of prenatal caffeine exposure. This drives inquiry into how further research can both solidify causal relationships and be conducted ethically to help inform parents about the potential risks of prenatal caffeine exposure. Conclusion: With a global trend of increasing caffeine consumption, through coffee, black tea, and recently, matcha, this review provided insight into this ever-growing aspect of our lifestyles. It is paramount to understand the effect of caffeine on foetuses to promote safe and healthy pregnancy outcomes.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"109 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125617331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Dietary interventions are modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In particular, the plant-based diet (PBD), characterized by a higher intake of plant-based foods, has been associated with lower CVD risk. In contrast, the western diet (WD), containing higher intakes of processed and animal products, has been associated with increased CVD risk. This review compares the effects of PBDs and WDs on CVD risk factors including blood pressure (BP), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides. Methods: A database search was performed in PubMed and Embase (search terms: (“plant-based diet” OR “western diet”) AND “cardiovascular disease” AND (“blood pressure” OR “low-density lipoprotein”)). Articles were checked for eligibility and excluded if they did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of seven articles were included in the review. Results: Of the seven studies, four evaluated BP, five analyzed LDL, and four investigated triglyceride levels. Following a PBD, three studies reported a significant decrease in BP, while one determined no significant changes in BP. Additionally, three studies indicated decreased LDL levels. On the other hand, while following a WD, one study indicated increased BP, another showed increased triglyceride levels and two demonstrated increased LDL levels. Discussion: Three mechanism of action theories may be used to explain the lowering effect PBD have on BP, LDL levels, and triglycerides. I) The overall lower fat intake in PBDs lowers saturated and trans-fats. II) The modest presence of phytosterols in PBDs provides a cholesterol-lowering effect. III) The higher content of soluble fibres in PBDs lower BP and LDL cholesterol. In contrast, WD are high in saturated fats and trans-fats, resulting in greater LDL levels. WDs are also high in sodium, increasing water retention and thus BP. Conclusion: The review highlights the potential benefits of PBDs and the harmful effects of WDs on CVD risk factors. Findings of this review suggest a shift towards PBDs may be beneficial in interventions aimed at reducing CVD risk factors. However, studies with larger sample sizes and longer intervention durations are needed to fully understand the relationship between diet and CVD risk factors.
{"title":"Comparing The Effects of Plant-Based Diets and Western Diets on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Review","authors":"Alecco Philippi, Reem Al-Rawi","doi":"10.26685/urncst.488","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.488","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Dietary interventions are modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In particular, the plant-based diet (PBD), characterized by a higher intake of plant-based foods, has been associated with lower CVD risk. In contrast, the western diet (WD), containing higher intakes of processed and animal products, has been associated with increased CVD risk. This review compares the effects of PBDs and WDs on CVD risk factors including blood pressure (BP), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides. Methods: A database search was performed in PubMed and Embase (search terms: (“plant-based diet” OR “western diet”) AND “cardiovascular disease” AND (“blood pressure” OR “low-density lipoprotein”)). Articles were checked for eligibility and excluded if they did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of seven articles were included in the review. Results: Of the seven studies, four evaluated BP, five analyzed LDL, and four investigated triglyceride levels. Following a PBD, three studies reported a significant decrease in BP, while one determined no significant changes in BP. Additionally, three studies indicated decreased LDL levels. On the other hand, while following a WD, one study indicated increased BP, another showed increased triglyceride levels and two demonstrated increased LDL levels. Discussion: Three mechanism of action theories may be used to explain the lowering effect PBD have on BP, LDL levels, and triglycerides. I) The overall lower fat intake in PBDs lowers saturated and trans-fats. II) The modest presence of phytosterols in PBDs provides a cholesterol-lowering effect. III) The higher content of soluble fibres in PBDs lower BP and LDL cholesterol. In contrast, WD are high in saturated fats and trans-fats, resulting in greater LDL levels. WDs are also high in sodium, increasing water retention and thus BP. Conclusion: The review highlights the potential benefits of PBDs and the harmful effects of WDs on CVD risk factors. Findings of this review suggest a shift towards PBDs may be beneficial in interventions aimed at reducing CVD risk factors. However, studies with larger sample sizes and longer intervention durations are needed to fully understand the relationship between diet and CVD risk factors.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"67 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126041179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Developing a diagnostic tool that can determine whether a patient will develop neuropathic pain following a spinal cord injury can aid clinicians in treatment procedures and improve patient outcomes. Developing new detection technology can take years, thus finding a way to use existing diagnostic tools would be optimal. Machine learning can be leveraged to incorporate existing data and classify patient outcomes when there are obvious patterns for classification. Methods: A review of full reports published in English was conducted through PubMed. The relevant keywords used in this search included “neuropathic pain”, “spinal cord injury”, machine learning, and “predict” among others. Eight relevant citations were retrieved and reviewed. Results: A decision tree regressor model using clinical measures for neuropathic pain and level of spinal cord injury found that BMI and anxiety scores were the most influential variables in predicting outcomes. A similar tree for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data found ventral and dorsal tissue bridges to be predictors of neuropathic pain. Another fMRI study pointed to a strong correlation between changes in perioperative blood oxygen levels at the ipsilateral frontal lobe and neuropathic pain outcomes. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) implicated a lower glutamate-glutamine/myoinositol ratio in high neuropathic pain. Various machine learning algorithms were evaluated in building an EEG classifier in two separate studies, and classification accuracies greater than 80% were reached in both. A classifier built using positron emission tomography data attained classification accuracies of 87.5%. Discussion: The most common machine learning algorithm used in building classifiers was support vector machines, linear discriminant analysis and neural net. Regression trees were also used, but they were used to elucidate the variables influencing predictions. Each study has its limitations, either due to limitations of the study method, classification method or data type. Conclusion: There exist many methods to study neuropathic pain and spinal cord injury and each method provides different information regarding the mechanism of pain, influential variables, and physiological changes that occur with pain. Classification can be done using any of these methods to achieve acceptable accuracies, but these accuracies are not enough for a clinical prognostic classifier.
{"title":"The Role of Machine Learning in Predicting the Onset and Progression of Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury: A Literature Review","authors":"Aparna Kumar","doi":"10.26685/urncst.482","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.482","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Developing a diagnostic tool that can determine whether a patient will develop neuropathic pain following a spinal cord injury can aid clinicians in treatment procedures and improve patient outcomes. Developing new detection technology can take years, thus finding a way to use existing diagnostic tools would be optimal. Machine learning can be leveraged to incorporate existing data and classify patient outcomes when there are obvious patterns for classification. Methods: A review of full reports published in English was conducted through PubMed. The relevant keywords used in this search included “neuropathic pain”, “spinal cord injury”, machine learning, and “predict” among others. Eight relevant citations were retrieved and reviewed. Results: A decision tree regressor model using clinical measures for neuropathic pain and level of spinal cord injury found that BMI and anxiety scores were the most influential variables in predicting outcomes. A similar tree for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data found ventral and dorsal tissue bridges to be predictors of neuropathic pain. Another fMRI study pointed to a strong correlation between changes in perioperative blood oxygen levels at the ipsilateral frontal lobe and neuropathic pain outcomes. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) implicated a lower glutamate-glutamine/myoinositol ratio in high neuropathic pain. Various machine learning algorithms were evaluated in building an EEG classifier in two separate studies, and classification accuracies greater than 80% were reached in both. A classifier built using positron emission tomography data attained classification accuracies of 87.5%. Discussion: The most common machine learning algorithm used in building classifiers was support vector machines, linear discriminant analysis and neural net. Regression trees were also used, but they were used to elucidate the variables influencing predictions. Each study has its limitations, either due to limitations of the study method, classification method or data type. Conclusion: There exist many methods to study neuropathic pain and spinal cord injury and each method provides different information regarding the mechanism of pain, influential variables, and physiological changes that occur with pain. Classification can be done using any of these methods to achieve acceptable accuracies, but these accuracies are not enough for a clinical prognostic classifier.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123744479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and complex mood disorder. Its psychotherapies often involve delayed treatment-response times, while its pharmacotherapies can cause unwanted side effects. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in psychedelic research with a specific interest in the potential of psilocybin for treating MDD. Therefore, this systematic review was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of psilocybin therapy at moderate (15±5 mg/70 kg) to high (25 ± 5 mg/70 kg) doses in the psychiatric treatment of MDD. Methods: The review included a literature search using PubMed (Medline), SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Medline (Ovid) databases from January 1, 2013, to February 28, 2023. Seven studies were included following the inclusion and exclusion criteria (e.g., moderate to high dosing psilocybin treatment, peer-reviewed, moderate to severe depression, control/delayed treatment groups, and non-directive therapy during psilocybin sessions). Studies were excluded using PRISMA guidelines and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists. Results: The primary outcomes assessed included changes in depression scores on validated diagnostic tools and secondary outcomes that supported depression remission (e.g., improved well-being and rumination scores, and decreased anxiety scores). Psilocybin was found to reduce depression symptoms in moderate single-dose contexts and have minimal reported side effects at high doses. A positive relationship was observed between the quality of psilocybin-induced experiences and the reduction in depressive symptoms. Additionally, a dose-response relationship was found between moderate (15±5 mg/70 kg) and high-dose psilocybin (25 ± 5 mg/70 kg), with greater improvements generally seen in higher dose conditions. Discussion: This review suggests that psilocybin can be an effective treatment option for MDD. Psilocybin shows meaningful improvements in depression scores with the potential to treat psychiatric conditions concurrent to depression. The non-directive therapy approach during high-dose sessions enabled unique psychedelic and personal experiences, potentially allowing more profound and individualized therapy. Reported side effects were minimal, and suggestions for future studies are provided. Conclusion: Psilocybin therapy was found to reduce depression levels and improve secondary outcomes that support depression remission, indicating efficacy for MDD and other depressive conditions. Despite seeming promising, further research is required before introducing PAP options to mainstream clinical practice.
{"title":"Psilocybin Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review","authors":"Kaden Venugopal","doi":"10.26685/urncst.489","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.489","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and complex mood disorder. Its psychotherapies often involve delayed treatment-response times, while its pharmacotherapies can cause unwanted side effects. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in psychedelic research with a specific interest in the potential of psilocybin for treating MDD. Therefore, this systematic review was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of psilocybin therapy at moderate (15±5 mg/70 kg) to high (25 ± 5 mg/70 kg) doses in the psychiatric treatment of MDD. Methods: The review included a literature search using PubMed (Medline), SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Medline (Ovid) databases from January 1, 2013, to February 28, 2023. Seven studies were included following the inclusion and exclusion criteria (e.g., moderate to high dosing psilocybin treatment, peer-reviewed, moderate to severe depression, control/delayed treatment groups, and non-directive therapy during psilocybin sessions). Studies were excluded using PRISMA guidelines and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists. Results: The primary outcomes assessed included changes in depression scores on validated diagnostic tools and secondary outcomes that supported depression remission (e.g., improved well-being and rumination scores, and decreased anxiety scores). Psilocybin was found to reduce depression symptoms in moderate single-dose contexts and have minimal reported side effects at high doses. A positive relationship was observed between the quality of psilocybin-induced experiences and the reduction in depressive symptoms. Additionally, a dose-response relationship was found between moderate (15±5 mg/70 kg) and high-dose psilocybin (25 ± 5 mg/70 kg), with greater improvements generally seen in higher dose conditions. Discussion: This review suggests that psilocybin can be an effective treatment option for MDD. Psilocybin shows meaningful improvements in depression scores with the potential to treat psychiatric conditions concurrent to depression. The non-directive therapy approach during high-dose sessions enabled unique psychedelic and personal experiences, potentially allowing more profound and individualized therapy. Reported side effects were minimal, and suggestions for future studies are provided. Conclusion: Psilocybin therapy was found to reduce depression levels and improve secondary outcomes that support depression remission, indicating efficacy for MDD and other depressive conditions. Despite seeming promising, further research is required before introducing PAP options to mainstream clinical practice.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132557702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Legionella is a gram-negative bacterium that replicates intracellularly within macrophages. Legionella utilizes effector proteins to hijack ER-Golgi vesicle trafficking to sustain proliferation in its intracellular niche. Legionella has a considerable influence on O-glycosylation but not N-glycosylation events in the Golgi of infected cells. This research aims to optimize the use of fluorescent lectins, which are proteins that bind carbohydrates, to effectively label host-cell glycocalyx during Legionella infection. Methods: Epifluorescence imaging or flow cytometry were used to optimize the lectin staining methodology. We noted that the most effective conditions for lectin-labeling were when live HeLa cells were incubated with lectins diluted in Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS) with 3% Bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 10-30 minutes at 4 °C. Results: Incubating suspended cells with lectins necessitated smaller lectin concentrations, whereas lectin labeling of adherent cells required considerably larger concentrations. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) was concentration-dependent, but Concanavalin A (ConA) and Maclura pomifera (MPA) MFIs did not alter substantially with increasing lectin concentrations. Discussion: The optimal lectin concentration required was lectin-specific and based on whether the lectin fluorescence was assessed using flow cytometry or epifluorescence. Furthermore, the use of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for lectin dilution, cell permeabilization for intracellular labelling, and incubation of lectins in fixed cells reduced productive labelling of lectins on cell surfaces because it inhibited the lectin's ability to effectively bind the associated carbohydrate structure. Conclusion: Further research using diverse lectins on U937 macrophages is necessary to reach a definitive conclusion on the effect of Legionella on the overall host-cell glycocalyx composition during infection of these relevant immune cells.
{"title":"Optimizing Lectin Staining Methodology to Assess Glycocalyx Composition of Legionella-Infected Cells","authors":"Sajani S. Kothari, R. Heineman, R. Harrison","doi":"10.26685/urncst.490","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.490","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Legionella is a gram-negative bacterium that replicates intracellularly within macrophages. Legionella utilizes effector proteins to hijack ER-Golgi vesicle trafficking to sustain proliferation in its intracellular niche. Legionella has a considerable influence on O-glycosylation but not N-glycosylation events in the Golgi of infected cells. This research aims to optimize the use of fluorescent lectins, which are proteins that bind carbohydrates, to effectively label host-cell glycocalyx during Legionella infection. Methods: Epifluorescence imaging or flow cytometry were used to optimize the lectin staining methodology. We noted that the most effective conditions for lectin-labeling were when live HeLa cells were incubated with lectins diluted in Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS) with 3% Bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 10-30 minutes at 4 °C. Results: Incubating suspended cells with lectins necessitated smaller lectin concentrations, whereas lectin labeling of adherent cells required considerably larger concentrations. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) was concentration-dependent, but Concanavalin A (ConA) and Maclura pomifera (MPA) MFIs did not alter substantially with increasing lectin concentrations. Discussion: The optimal lectin concentration required was lectin-specific and based on whether the lectin fluorescence was assessed using flow cytometry or epifluorescence. Furthermore, the use of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for lectin dilution, cell permeabilization for intracellular labelling, and incubation of lectins in fixed cells reduced productive labelling of lectins on cell surfaces because it inhibited the lectin's ability to effectively bind the associated carbohydrate structure. Conclusion: Further research using diverse lectins on U937 macrophages is necessary to reach a definitive conclusion on the effect of Legionella on the overall host-cell glycocalyx composition during infection of these relevant immune cells.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124642024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"2022-2023 Multidisciplinary Health Research Experience (MHRE) Research Pitch Competition","authors":"Toby Le, Jasmine Frost, Katharine Manas","doi":"10.26685/urncst.506","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.506","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126072821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The University of Ottawa Healthcare Symposium (UOHS) is an annual one-day undergraduate health conference focused on promoting interdisciplinary awareness in the field of health. Through seminars, interactive panel discussions, and a research-based elevator pitch competition, UOHS aims to engage students and foster their interest in healthcare. Founded twelve years ago by undergraduate students, UOHS has grown to become the University of Ottawa's largest healthcare conference, exemplifying its significance and impact. At the heart of UOHS is the renowned Pitch-O-Rama event, held during a seminar block, where participants have the opportunity to deliver clear and engaging elevator pitches on their healthcare-related research to an audience and panel of judges. The primary objective of the Pitch-O-Rama is to encourage students to effectively communicate and share their scientific research with the wider community. In this abstract book, we proudly present the written submissions of the top five participants, highlighting their outstanding contributions and showcasing their ability to articulate the significance of their research. For additional details about UOHS, please visit our website: https://www.uohs-csuo.com/.
{"title":"The University of Ottawa Healthcare Symposium (UOHS) 2023 Pitch-O-Rama: Undergraduate Elevator Pitch Research Competition","authors":"Aws Almir Ahmad, Arpana Wadhwani, Tiffany Yang, Moatter Syed","doi":"10.26685/urncst.505","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.505","url":null,"abstract":"The University of Ottawa Healthcare Symposium (UOHS) is an annual one-day undergraduate health conference focused on promoting interdisciplinary awareness in the field of health. Through seminars, interactive panel discussions, and a research-based elevator pitch competition, UOHS aims to engage students and foster their interest in healthcare. Founded twelve years ago by undergraduate students, UOHS has grown to become the University of Ottawa's largest healthcare conference, exemplifying its significance and impact. At the heart of UOHS is the renowned Pitch-O-Rama event, held during a seminar block, where participants have the opportunity to deliver clear and engaging elevator pitches on their healthcare-related research to an audience and panel of judges. The primary objective of the Pitch-O-Rama is to encourage students to effectively communicate and share their scientific research with the wider community. In this abstract book, we proudly present the written submissions of the top five participants, highlighting their outstanding contributions and showcasing their ability to articulate the significance of their research. For additional details about UOHS, please visit our website: https://www.uohs-csuo.com/.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139360203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raveen Badyal, B. Whalen, G. Singhera, B. Sahin, K. J. Keen, C. Ryerson, Pearce Wilcox, J. Dunne
Introduction: Scleroderma (SSc) is an autoimmune disorder with the hallmark of fibrosis of the skin, vasculature and internal organs. Patients with SSc and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) are susceptible to interstitial lung disease (ILD), leading to decreased lung function and death. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a form of ILD that is not associated with extrapulmonary manifestations. In this study, lung involvement of SSc was studied by observing how disease progression and pathogenesis differ among patients with SSc, UCTD, and ILD compared to healthy controls and patients with IPF. Our group has previously identified disease targets through microRNA sequencing, including the DICER enzyme, which works closely with the protein DGCR8 and the enzyme DROSHA in the RNA interference pathway. The canonical pathway stipulates that DICER processes microRNAs in the cytosol while DGCR8 and DROSHA process microRNAs in the nucleus. DICER, DROSHA, and DGCR8 are hypothesized to contribute to ILD progression. Methods: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from voluntary participants, including healthy controls. PBMCs were subsequently lysed with subcellular fractionation buffer. Western blotting was done on the resulting cytosolic and nucleic fractions for DICER, DROSHA, and DGCR8 protein expression. The cytosolic fractions were normalized to GAPDH, while the nucleic fractions were normalized to B2M. Nonparametric Kruskal‐Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: The medians were significantly higher for healthy controls for DICER in the nucleus with a p-value of 0.0302, and DROSHA in the cytosol with a p-value of 0.0406 compared to patients with SSc, UCTD, and IPF. Discussion: Differences in expression were found for DROSHA in the cytosol and DICER in the nucleus, suggesting dysregulation of the non-canonical RNA interference pathways in SSc, UCTD, and IPF patients. Variability of disease progression within the groups could lead to variable enzyme and protein levels within the same disease status. With larger sample sizes, statistically insignificant differences would become significant. Lipid nanoparticle technology could be used to deliver deficient microRNAs to silence mRNA in patients. Conclusion: Due to dysregulation of the RNA interference pathway, microRNAs may be inadequately processed in the patient groups.
{"title":"Regulation of MicroRNA Expression in Scleroderma and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Research Study","authors":"Raveen Badyal, B. Whalen, G. Singhera, B. Sahin, K. J. Keen, C. Ryerson, Pearce Wilcox, J. Dunne","doi":"10.26685/urncst.442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.442","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Scleroderma (SSc) is an autoimmune disorder with the hallmark of fibrosis of the skin, vasculature and internal organs. Patients with SSc and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) are susceptible to interstitial lung disease (ILD), leading to decreased lung function and death. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a form of ILD that is not associated with extrapulmonary manifestations. In this study, lung involvement of SSc was studied by observing how disease progression and pathogenesis differ among patients with SSc, UCTD, and ILD compared to healthy controls and patients with IPF. Our group has previously identified disease targets through microRNA sequencing, including the DICER enzyme, which works closely with the protein DGCR8 and the enzyme DROSHA in the RNA interference pathway. The canonical pathway stipulates that DICER processes microRNAs in the cytosol while DGCR8 and DROSHA process microRNAs in the nucleus. DICER, DROSHA, and DGCR8 are hypothesized to contribute to ILD progression. Methods: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from voluntary participants, including healthy controls. PBMCs were subsequently lysed with subcellular fractionation buffer. Western blotting was done on the resulting cytosolic and nucleic fractions for DICER, DROSHA, and DGCR8 protein expression. The cytosolic fractions were normalized to GAPDH, while the nucleic fractions were normalized to B2M. Nonparametric Kruskal‐Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: The medians were significantly higher for healthy controls for DICER in the nucleus with a p-value of 0.0302, and DROSHA in the cytosol with a p-value of 0.0406 compared to patients with SSc, UCTD, and IPF. Discussion: Differences in expression were found for DROSHA in the cytosol and DICER in the nucleus, suggesting dysregulation of the non-canonical RNA interference pathways in SSc, UCTD, and IPF patients. Variability of disease progression within the groups could lead to variable enzyme and protein levels within the same disease status. With larger sample sizes, statistically insignificant differences would become significant. Lipid nanoparticle technology could be used to deliver deficient microRNAs to silence mRNA in patients. Conclusion: Due to dysregulation of the RNA interference pathway, microRNAs may be inadequately processed in the patient groups.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125853443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Health disparities disproportionately impact minority group patients. Various factors perpetuate health inequity, including socioeconomic status, prejudice and discrimination. Historically, sample biases favoring White males in healthcare literature have led to the underrepresentation of certain groups in scientific literature, particularly people of color (POC) and female populations. Many revolutionary studies in healthcare research have used biased samples, which challenges their generalizability to POC and female populations. This review explores the mechanisms by which these gaps in the literature have led to the misdiagnoses of POC and female patients in psychiatric and biomedical settings. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to investigate: (1) misrepresentation of minority groups in literature, (2) variation in the symptomatology and etiology of disorders and diseases in female and POC populations; and (3) biases within accepted diagnostic measures and criteria. Electronic databases such as PubMed, PsychINFO and Google Scholar were used to search key terms including ‘health inequity’, ‘cross-cultural validity’, ‘racial disparities’, ‘sex disparities’, ‘diagnostic delays’, ‘misdiagnosis’, ‘clinical heterogeneity’. Results: Eighty-seven studies were examined, and 38 studies were included in the review. Findings suggest that misclassification of group membership, poor conceptualizations of minority identities, inadequate understanding of symptomatology variation, exclusion of social context, lack of culturally sensitive approaches, biased diagnostic tools and an absence of diverse samples in historical datasets have resulted in a harmful deficit in minority representation within medical literature. Discussion: Bias in healthcare literature has led to the systematic underrepresentation of minority populations in medical research and contributes to the misdiagnosis and subsequent health inequities within these groups. Present findings emphasize the necessity to regard past health research with reasonable skepticism and a call for prioritization of inclusive and diverse research. Conclusion: This review sheds light on how to bridge the literature deficit caused by biased research through highlighting how minority populations are differentially impacted within the healthcare field and identifying factors that perpetuate these disparities. Further research on the examined factors must be conducted to develop approaches to mitigate misdiagnosis rates and subsequent health inequities among POC and female patients.
{"title":"“A Bias Recognized is A Bias Sterilized”: A Literature Review on How Biased Datasets Have Led to the Long-standing Misdiagnosing of People of Color (POC) and Female Patients","authors":"Shreerachita Satish, Zoya Pal","doi":"10.26685/urncst.485","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.485","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Health disparities disproportionately impact minority group patients. Various factors perpetuate health inequity, including socioeconomic status, prejudice and discrimination. Historically, sample biases favoring White males in healthcare literature have led to the underrepresentation of certain groups in scientific literature, particularly people of color (POC) and female populations. Many revolutionary studies in healthcare research have used biased samples, which challenges their generalizability to POC and female populations. This review explores the mechanisms by which these gaps in the literature have led to the misdiagnoses of POC and female patients in psychiatric and biomedical settings. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to investigate: (1) misrepresentation of minority groups in literature, (2) variation in the symptomatology and etiology of disorders and diseases in female and POC populations; and (3) biases within accepted diagnostic measures and criteria. Electronic databases such as PubMed, PsychINFO and Google Scholar were used to search key terms including ‘health inequity’, ‘cross-cultural validity’, ‘racial disparities’, ‘sex disparities’, ‘diagnostic delays’, ‘misdiagnosis’, ‘clinical heterogeneity’. Results: Eighty-seven studies were examined, and 38 studies were included in the review. Findings suggest that misclassification of group membership, poor conceptualizations of minority identities, inadequate understanding of symptomatology variation, exclusion of social context, lack of culturally sensitive approaches, biased diagnostic tools and an absence of diverse samples in historical datasets have resulted in a harmful deficit in minority representation within medical literature. Discussion: Bias in healthcare literature has led to the systematic underrepresentation of minority populations in medical research and contributes to the misdiagnosis and subsequent health inequities within these groups. Present findings emphasize the necessity to regard past health research with reasonable skepticism and a call for prioritization of inclusive and diverse research. Conclusion: This review sheds light on how to bridge the literature deficit caused by biased research through highlighting how minority populations are differentially impacted within the healthcare field and identifying factors that perpetuate these disparities. Further research on the examined factors must be conducted to develop approaches to mitigate misdiagnosis rates and subsequent health inequities among POC and female patients.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128142625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Stability of the acetabular component is a critical factor in the success of primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures. As such, the identification of implant surface characteristics that maximize stability of the acetabular cup is an important research objective. While titanium has historically been the most commonly used implant material, the proportion of THA procedures utilizing porous tantalum (PTa) implants has increased in recent years. The objective of this review is to examine the comparative mechanical and osseointegrative performance of PTa and porous titanium (PTi) and interpret these results in the context of primary and secondary stability of acetabular implants in THA, as characterized by strength of initial mechanical attachment and successful interlocking at the bone-implant interface, respectively. Methods: A literature search using a predetermined protocol and inclusion criteria yielded 7 articles presenting results of comparative testing of mechanical performance or osseointegration of PTa and PTi in the context of THA. Results: Neither PTa nor PTi presented consistently superior results in mechanical tests designed to correlate to primary stability at the metallo-biological surface nor in measures of osseointegration intended to represent secondary stability in THA. Discussion: In comparing PTa and PTi, it appears that the characteristics of the implant coating's pores may have a more significant impact on factors affecting the stability of an acetabular cup implant than the metal selected. However, determining the ideal pore morphology for this application is complex; pore characteristics that would suggest mechanical compatibility may conflict with those that would encourage more effective osseointegration. Conclusion: When extrapolated to be indicators of hypothetical clinical success, the results of this review are consistent with those of recently released macro-analyses of clinical outcomes: PTa and PTi acetabular cups, as they are currently manufactured, produce clinically equivalent outcomes. In the development and comparison of coating options, pore morphology and its complex effects on stability must be adequately accounted for; only then can we reach a faithful conclusion regarding the ideal porous adhesion surface for acetabular implant in THA.
{"title":"Comparison of the Mechanical and Osseointegrative Performance of Porous Tantalum and Titanium for Acetabular Implantation in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Literature Review","authors":"Margaret S. Juryn","doi":"10.26685/urncst.481","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.481","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Stability of the acetabular component is a critical factor in the success of primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures. As such, the identification of implant surface characteristics that maximize stability of the acetabular cup is an important research objective. While titanium has historically been the most commonly used implant material, the proportion of THA procedures utilizing porous tantalum (PTa) implants has increased in recent years. The objective of this review is to examine the comparative mechanical and osseointegrative performance of PTa and porous titanium (PTi) and interpret these results in the context of primary and secondary stability of acetabular implants in THA, as characterized by strength of initial mechanical attachment and successful interlocking at the bone-implant interface, respectively. Methods: A literature search using a predetermined protocol and inclusion criteria yielded 7 articles presenting results of comparative testing of mechanical performance or osseointegration of PTa and PTi in the context of THA. Results: Neither PTa nor PTi presented consistently superior results in mechanical tests designed to correlate to primary stability at the metallo-biological surface nor in measures of osseointegration intended to represent secondary stability in THA. Discussion: In comparing PTa and PTi, it appears that the characteristics of the implant coating's pores may have a more significant impact on factors affecting the stability of an acetabular cup implant than the metal selected. However, determining the ideal pore morphology for this application is complex; pore characteristics that would suggest mechanical compatibility may conflict with those that would encourage more effective osseointegration. Conclusion: When extrapolated to be indicators of hypothetical clinical success, the results of this review are consistent with those of recently released macro-analyses of clinical outcomes: PTa and PTi acetabular cups, as they are currently manufactured, produce clinically equivalent outcomes. In the development and comparison of coating options, pore morphology and its complex effects on stability must be adequately accounted for; only then can we reach a faithful conclusion regarding the ideal porous adhesion surface for acetabular implant in THA.","PeriodicalId":245521,"journal":{"name":"Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology (URNCST) Journal","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125215217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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