Pub Date : 2022-04-30DOI: 10.15173/sciential.vi8.3035
Syed Irfan
Aging is a reality and is associated with the progressive physiological breakdown of the body. This can cause many health problems such as heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, etc. However, some claim that the aging process can be stopped. Proposed mechanisms for stopping aging include good nutrition and exercise, pharmacological interventions, and stem cell therapy. These have shown good prospects for slowing down the aging process, but not for stopping it altogether. It may also not be possible to stop aging for a long time, considering that it is polygenic and complex in nature. This provides a clarification for the current state of modern science in terms of its ability to stop aging, as well as an outlook for what to expect in the future.
{"title":"Stopping Aging: Dream or Reality?","authors":"Syed Irfan","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi8.3035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi8.3035","url":null,"abstract":"Aging is a reality and is associated with the progressive physiological breakdown of the body. This can cause many health problems such as heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, etc. However, some claim that the aging process can be stopped. Proposed mechanisms for stopping aging include good nutrition and exercise, pharmacological interventions, and stem cell therapy. These have shown good prospects for slowing down the aging process, but not for stopping it altogether. It may also not be possible to stop aging for a long time, considering that it is polygenic and complex in nature. This provides a clarification for the current state of modern science in terms of its ability to stop aging, as well as an outlook for what to expect in the future.","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131903724","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}
Pub Date : 2022-04-30DOI: 10.15173/sciential.vi8.3016
Armin Sariaslani
Kv4.2 channels are a type of K+ channel responsible for the early phase of repolarization in an action potential. In 2014, a gain of function (GOF) mutation in these channels was shown to lead to seizures. Since this mutation led to a more sustained K+ current in the mutant neurons' repolarizing phase, it is not clear why it would lead to hyperexcitability and not hypoexcitability. It has been shown that the transient silencing of glutamatergic neurons can lead to their potentiation, which is called homeostatic potentiation. This proposal aims to test whether homeostatic potentiation of cortical pyramidal neurons of layer2/3 is the underlying mechanism behind the seizures induced by this mutation. To examine this, three markers of potentiation will be investigated in pyramidal neurons of layer 2/3 in mice that are either wildtype (WT) or mutant for the Kv4.2 GOF mutation. These markers include the excitatory post synaptic current (EPSC), spine density and the AMPA receptor density on the post synaptic density (PSD), which should all increase after potentiation. The results of this research will reveal the mechanism behind this mutation’s effects, potentially leading to the development of targeted pharmacological interventions for the form epilepsy induced by this mutation.
{"title":"The Potentiation of Cortical Pyramidal Neurons Due to the Gain of Function Mutation of Kv.4.2 Channels","authors":"Armin Sariaslani","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi8.3016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi8.3016","url":null,"abstract":"Kv4.2 channels are a type of K+ channel responsible for the early phase of repolarization in an action potential. In 2014, a gain of function (GOF) mutation in these channels was shown to lead to seizures. Since this mutation led to a more sustained K+ current in the mutant neurons' repolarizing phase, it is not clear why it would lead to hyperexcitability and not hypoexcitability. It has been shown that the transient silencing of glutamatergic neurons can lead to their potentiation, which is called homeostatic potentiation. This proposal aims to test whether homeostatic potentiation of cortical pyramidal neurons of layer2/3 is the underlying mechanism behind the seizures induced by this mutation. To examine this, three markers of potentiation will be investigated in pyramidal neurons of layer 2/3 in mice that are either wildtype (WT) or mutant for the Kv4.2 GOF mutation. These markers include the excitatory post synaptic current (EPSC), spine density and the AMPA receptor density on the post synaptic density (PSD), which should all increase after potentiation. The results of this research will reveal the mechanism behind this mutation’s effects, potentially leading to the development of targeted pharmacological interventions for the form epilepsy induced by this mutation. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"65 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127043130","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}
Pub Date : 2022-04-30DOI: 10.15173/sciential.vi8.3014
Juliana Wadie
The purpose of lay summaries is to summarize a research manuscript in a concise, accessible, and engaging manner for any reader to comprehend. This study seeks to analyze the amount of engagement and accessibility in lay summaries as part of medical research manuscripts. In this study, we analyzed a total of 20 lay summaries, including five from Elife, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Journal, Epilepsy and Behavior Case Reports, and the Journal of Hepatology. One grader marked each individual lay summary using a customized rubric. The lowest average scores for all journals were 1.5 out of 5 in the accessibility and engagement section of the rubric. The average total score between Elife and EBCR and Elife and the Journal of Hepatology were both significant and were 5.1 and 6.7 marks different, respectively. The results from this study indicate that accessibility and engagement of lay summaries are not as adequate as they should be in the field of medicine. An implication of this study is that it will provide awareness and bring these undiscovered issues into the light, so that authors may consider writing lay summaries that meet the need of their audience. A limitation to this study includes the fact that there was a small sample size.
外行摘要的目的是总结一个研究手稿在一个简洁的，可访问的，并吸引任何读者理解的方式。本研究旨在分析作为医学研究手稿一部分的外行摘要的参与度和可及性。在这项研究中，我们共分析了20篇lay摘要，其中包括5篇来自Elife，多发性硬化症及相关疾病杂志，癫痫和行为病例报告以及肝病杂志。一名评分员使用定制的标题标记每个人的lay摘要。所有期刊的最低平均得分是1.5分(满分5分)。Elife与EBCR、Elife与Journal of Hepatology的平均总分差异均显著，分别为5.1分和6.7分。本研究的结果表明，外行摘要的可及性和参与度并不像医学领域应有的那样充分。这项研究的一个含义是，它将提供意识并将这些未被发现的问题带入光中，因此作者可能会考虑编写满足读者需求的摘要。本研究的局限性包括样本量小。
{"title":"Health in Bite Sized Pieces - Discovering Lack of Accessibility and Engagement in Lay Summaries","authors":"Juliana Wadie","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi8.3014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi8.3014","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of lay summaries is to summarize a research manuscript in a concise, accessible, and engaging manner for any reader to comprehend. This study seeks to analyze the amount of engagement and accessibility in lay summaries as part of medical research manuscripts. In this study, we analyzed a total of 20 lay summaries, including five from Elife, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Journal, Epilepsy and Behavior Case Reports, and the Journal of Hepatology. One grader marked each individual lay summary using a customized rubric. The lowest average scores for all journals were 1.5 out of 5 in the accessibility and engagement section of the rubric. The average total score between Elife and EBCR and Elife and the Journal of Hepatology were both significant and were 5.1 and 6.7 marks different, respectively. The results from this study indicate that accessibility and engagement of lay summaries are not as adequate as they should be in the field of medicine. An implication of this study is that it will provide awareness and bring these undiscovered issues into the light, so that authors may consider writing lay summaries that meet the need of their audience. A limitation to this study includes the fact that there was a small sample size. ","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131902275","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}
Pub Date : 2022-04-30DOI: 10.15173/sciential.vi8.2902
Muhammad Amjad, Joey Hofmann
Improvements in detection technology has enabled researchers to discover interstellar phenomena at an exponential rate; the most enticing of such marvels are black holes. Development of black hole thermodynamics have yielded promising interdisciplinary results. This paper will explore the fundamental concepts pertaining to black holes, and a brief outline of the scientific contributions made by notable theorists in their respective fields. These concepts will be followed by an in-depth discussion concerning the fundamental attributes and characteristics of black holes. One concept that will be thoroughly discussed is black hole radiation, a theory developed heavily by physicist Stephen Hawking, which was predicated on research concerning the anatomy and effects of rotating black holes in the universe. Derivations of formulae relevant to Hawking radiation, black hole entropy, and classical black hole dynamics will be done, as these are imperative to the elucidation of such sophisticated concepts. Furthermore, these formulae will be applied to pre-existing interstellar phenomena in order to understand the significance of the theoretical findings. Ultimately, mathematical models will be put to the test using real black holes. A model will also be generated in a Python environment to visually exemplify Hawking radiation for a Schwarzschild black hole. Developing a cohesive understanding of the thermodynamic concepts related to black holes will prove fruitful in the application of scientific knowledge to an ever-changing world enticed by interstellar phenomena.
{"title":"Black Hole Thermodynamics and Hawking Radiation","authors":"Muhammad Amjad, Joey Hofmann","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi8.2902","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi8.2902","url":null,"abstract":"Improvements in detection technology has enabled researchers to discover interstellar phenomena at an exponential rate; the most enticing of such marvels are black holes. Development of black hole thermodynamics have yielded promising interdisciplinary results. This paper will explore the fundamental concepts pertaining to black holes, and a brief outline of the scientific contributions made by notable theorists in their respective fields. These concepts will be followed by an in-depth discussion concerning the fundamental attributes and characteristics of black holes. One concept that will be thoroughly discussed is black hole radiation, a theory developed heavily by physicist Stephen Hawking, which was predicated on research concerning the anatomy and effects of rotating black holes in the universe. Derivations of formulae relevant to Hawking radiation, black hole entropy, and classical black hole dynamics will be done, as these are imperative to the elucidation of such sophisticated concepts. Furthermore, these formulae will be applied to pre-existing interstellar phenomena in order to understand the significance of the theoretical findings. Ultimately, mathematical models will be put to the test using real black holes. A model will also be generated in a Python environment to visually exemplify Hawking radiation for a Schwarzschild black hole. Developing a cohesive understanding of the thermodynamic concepts related to black holes will prove fruitful in the application of scientific knowledge to an ever-changing world enticed by interstellar phenomena.","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131521879","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}
Pub Date : 2021-11-30DOI: 10.15173/sciential.vi7.2921
N. Suzuki
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, or EDI, is a central topic in Science today. EDI refers to the approach where individuals from a diverse pool are given the same opportunities. Additionally, there are differences among the people in the group. Further, dissimilarities are respected and celebrated. In this interview, Dr. Ayesha Khan shares what EDI means to her as a professor at McMaster University. Her relationship with EDI is an ongoing learning process that she is achieving with the help and guidance of students. Advocating for student empowerment is aligned with her teaching philosophy and EDI principles. However, introducing EDI topics in course content can bring challenges in how best to present sensitive materials. Dr. Khan’s personal goal is to inform students about EDI so that they can share these ideas with others.
{"title":"Interview with Dr. Ayesha Khan","authors":"N. Suzuki","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi7.2921","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi7.2921","url":null,"abstract":"Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, or EDI, is a central topic in Science today. EDI refers to the approach where individuals from a diverse pool are given the same opportunities. Additionally, there are differences among the people in the group. Further, dissimilarities are respected and celebrated. In this interview, Dr. Ayesha Khan shares what EDI means to her as a professor at McMaster University. Her relationship with EDI is an ongoing learning process that she is achieving with the help and guidance of students. Advocating for student empowerment is aligned with her teaching philosophy and EDI principles. However, introducing EDI topics in course content can bring challenges in how best to present sensitive materials. Dr. Khan’s personal goal is to inform students about EDI so that they can share these ideas with others.","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126652655","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}
Pub Date : 2021-11-30DOI: 10.15173/sciential.vi7.2918
Aileen Jeong
Endometriosis is a disease that is common among reproductive-aged females and can present itself through symptoms such as pelvic pain and infertility. The current process of diagnosing this disease involves laparoscopy, an invasive surgical procedure. This method of diagnosis have been proven to be suboptimal and suggests the need for reevaluation. The misdiagnosis and delays in diagnosis of endometriosis have become a public health crisis and many authors propose alternative methods of clinical, noninvasive diagnostic techniques.
{"title":"Endometriosis Misdiagnosis","authors":"Aileen Jeong","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi7.2918","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi7.2918","url":null,"abstract":"Endometriosis is a disease that is common among reproductive-aged females and can present itself through symptoms such as pelvic pain and infertility. The current process of diagnosing this disease involves laparoscopy, an invasive surgical procedure. This method of diagnosis have been proven to be suboptimal and suggests the need for reevaluation. The misdiagnosis and delays in diagnosis of endometriosis have become a public health crisis and many authors propose alternative methods of clinical, noninvasive diagnostic techniques. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126151913","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}
Pub Date : 2021-11-30DOI: 10.15173/sciential.vi7.2920
Guillaume Hewitt
Extragalactic globular clusters are viewed as single points of light, as the density of their stars make them individually indiscernible. The aim of this study was to find a correlation between the integrated colour of globular star clusters and the metallicity of their individual stars. This was accomplished by using the colour magnitudes and metallicities of individual stars from 11 cluster models based on work from Girardi et al. Integrated colour-metallicity diagrams found the relationship between clusters to be an increasing two-step linear function for each of the six colour ratios examined. To validate the findings, the F475W-F814W relationship was applied to integrated colour data of 5557 clusters from the real galaxy NGC 6166. Histograms taken of the colour and metallicity both showed non-gaussian distributions. Bimodal gaussian fits were applied to both and found that each exhibited the presence of subpopulations: one metal-poor (μ = -1.59), and one metal-rich (μ = -0.41). This suggests the occurrence of galactic mergers with NGC 6166 to create the population structure of clusters that is currently seen.
{"title":"Demonstrating the Relationship between the Colour and Heavy Element Abundance of Globular Clusters","authors":"Guillaume Hewitt","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi7.2920","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi7.2920","url":null,"abstract":"Extragalactic globular clusters are viewed as single points of light, as the density of their stars make them individually indiscernible. The aim of this study was to find a correlation between the integrated colour of globular star clusters and the metallicity of their individual stars. This was accomplished by using the colour magnitudes and metallicities of individual stars from 11 cluster models based on work from Girardi et al. Integrated colour-metallicity diagrams found the relationship between clusters to be an increasing two-step linear function for each of the six colour ratios examined. To validate the findings, the F475W-F814W relationship was applied to integrated colour data of 5557 clusters from the real galaxy NGC 6166. Histograms taken of the colour and metallicity both showed non-gaussian distributions. Bimodal gaussian fits were applied to both and found that each exhibited the presence of subpopulations: one metal-poor (μ = -1.59), and one metal-rich (μ = -0.41). This suggests the occurrence of galactic mergers with NGC 6166 to create the population structure of clusters that is currently seen.","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"527 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116490706","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}
Postpartum depression (PPD) is often stigmatized and there appears to be a significant lack of representation of PPD in Canadian media outlets. This showcases the necessity for diverse reporting in the media and an increase in awareness of PPD among the general population. The extent to which PPD is underrepresented in Canadian news sources over the past decade has not been evaluated to date. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of articles about PPD published in three popular Canadian newspapers (The Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star) in 2010, 2015 and 2019 using Factiva. We scored the publications based on relevancy, approach to communicating PPD and discussion of resources. In 2010, 66.6% (n=7) of articles retrieved covered PPD, compared to 0% (n=0) and 16.7% (n=1) of articles in 2015 and 2019, respectively. Only articles that discussed PPD as their main focus were included in further analysis. Anecdotes of mothers’ personal experiences with PPD were present in 62.5% of articles (n=5), while only 25% (n=2) included descriptions of fathers’ experiences with PPD. Scientific information about PPD was mentioned in 85.71% of the articles (n=6). There was no discussion surrounding providing support or resources for mothers or fathers experiencing PPD in any of the analyzed articles. Evidently, the number of articles mentioning or discussing PPD has decreased in the last decade. In 2010, there was greater discussion of PPD in media sources, emphasizing relevant science and personal experiences of parents. Articles published in 2010 also included a greater representation of males’ perspectives on PPD.Overall, the analysis suggests a plausible trend in the reporting of PPD and PPD stigmatization, however more research needs to be conducted in order to understand whether or not PPD has become more stigmatized in the last decade.
{"title":"Postpartum Depression Reporting Within Canadian News Sources (2010-2019)","authors":"Manmeet Benepal, Jasleen Gill, S. Nagaratnam, Krishna Patel, Noah Stancati, Shipra Taneja","doi":"10.15173/sciential.vi7.2916","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.15173/sciential.vi7.2916","url":null,"abstract":"Postpartum depression (PPD) is often stigmatized and there appears to be a significant lack of representation of PPD in Canadian media outlets. This showcases the necessity for diverse reporting in the media and an increase in awareness of PPD among the general population. The extent to which PPD is underrepresented in Canadian news sources over the past decade has not been evaluated to date. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of articles about PPD published in three popular Canadian newspapers (The Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star) in 2010, 2015 and 2019 using Factiva. We scored the publications based on relevancy, approach to communicating PPD and discussion of resources. In 2010, 66.6% (n=7) of articles retrieved covered PPD, compared to 0% (n=0) and 16.7% (n=1) of articles in 2015 and 2019, respectively. Only articles that discussed PPD as their main focus were included in further analysis. Anecdotes of mothers’ personal experiences with PPD were present in 62.5% of articles (n=5), while only 25% (n=2) included descriptions of fathers’ experiences with PPD. Scientific information about PPD was mentioned in 85.71% of the articles (n=6). There was no discussion surrounding providing support or resources for mothers or fathers experiencing PPD in any of the analyzed articles. Evidently, the number of articles mentioning or discussing PPD has decreased in the last decade. In 2010, there was greater discussion of PPD in media sources, emphasizing relevant science and personal experiences of parents. Articles published in 2010 also included a greater representation of males’ perspectives on PPD.Overall, the analysis suggests a plausible trend in the reporting of PPD and PPD stigmatization, however more research needs to be conducted in order to understand whether or not PPD has become more stigmatized in the last decade.","PeriodicalId":262888,"journal":{"name":"Sciential - McMaster Undergraduate Science Journal","volume":"50 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134138866","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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