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Time flies when you’re having fun: A fruit fly study on aging
Get PDFDrosophila melanogaster is a species of flies that has been used as a model organism for over a century. Drosophila has a fully sequenced genome that contains genes equivalent to at least 75% of the genes found in humans. This makes it a great model organism to study biological questions pertaining to human health, including aging. Aging has long been attributed to the cellular and molecular changes inside a cell, but little is known about the genes which play a role in the process of aging. Although studies have attempted to elucidate the function of these genes, often ignored is the accessibility of these genes to DNA-reading molecular machinery, which likely influences their expression and contributes to the processes of aging. Studies have noted that females often survive longer than males, and this is true across multiple species, including Homo sapiens (humans) and Drosophila melanogaster (common fruit fly). It has been suggested that the highly condensed, or heterochromatic, male Y chromosome, which is inaccessible to the cell’s DNA-reading molecular machinery, causes shorter survival rates. This study explores the relationship between heterochromatin and aging. Research methodology included laboratory experimentation, including a genetic experiment, to compare the gene expression profiles for flies with normal, modified, and partially absent heterochromatin, and a literature search on the biochemical function of these genes. The study determines that six key genes are strongly implicated in aging and that these genes remove the toxic by-products created by cells when they produce energy. It concludes that organisms containing a greater amount of heterochromatin have a reduced ability to produce these key anti-aging genes
The trial of the death of Cindy Gladue. #CinduGladue: Degradation, representation and competing ideologies
Get PDFEach year, women and girls from Aboriginal and Indigenous communities are missing or murdered, with no justice served. The trial of the death of Cindy Gladue (2015) was one that could set precedent for women who are Indigenous and for women who are sex workers. I reviewed and analyzed the trial and media trends and found three common themes: degradation ceremonies, representation of women, and ideological contestations. This review focused on the denunciation of Cindy Gladue, on consent and sex workers, and on the ideologies of indigenous communities and sex workers. The paper concludes that the Canadian criminal justice system continues to fail women of colour and Indigenous communities; however, the growth of social media channels has increased public knowledge and increased awareness about the rights and protection of individuals
Addressing the gender gap in Canadian health research funding
Get PDFMuch research has been published on the inequities faced by women in research. In Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the national investment agency for health research, providing a billion dollars annually to researchers through various grants and awards. In 2019, an article entitled “Are gender gaps due to evaluations of the applicant or the science? A natural experiment at a national funding agency” (Witteman, Hendricks, Straus & Tannenbaum) drew attention to the gender gaps present in CIHR funding. Through a comparison of three CIHR grant programs, the authors concluded that these gender gaps arose from grant reviewers evaluating women less favourably than men, rather than from differences in research proposal quality. Our project proposes that the CIHR modify their “Equity Strategy” to implement an “Equal Representation Policy” over ten years. Based on women’s representation within the general Canadian population, this will ensure that 50.9% of grant funding is given to women. Implementation of this proposal will involve reaching out to four key stakeholder groups. Once established, data collection, milestone setting, and compliance enforcement methods are suggested for evaluation and sustainability. Research is foundational to the practice standards, legislation, best-practice guidelines, and evidence-based practice that guide nursing and medical practice, all of which directly impact the health of Canadians. Until changes to society’s current gender biases and gender norms occur, we believe adopting a target-based policy to minimize gender biases in research funding is the most effective solution
The effects of naphthalene on the environment
Get PDFNaphthalene is a type 2 carcinogen that metabolizes in the body through oxidative transformation. It can be found in the atmosphere and in water and soil as well as in day-to-day products such as insecticides, deodorizers, toys, antiseptics, mothballs, and tobacco smoke. It enters the body mainly through a gaseous form, but it can also be ingested or absorbed dermally
Are we doing enough to protect black-tailed prairie dogs?
Get PDFAccording to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, the black-tailed prairie dog is a profoundly threatened species with a drastically declining population, leaving only a small Canadian group remaining in southern Saskatchewan. This scoping review identifies their ecological role, high-impact threats, proposed management plans, and gaps in the effectiveness of these plans. Prairie dogs are keystone species that play a large ecological role in their communities, from maintaining nutrient and moisture-rich soil for plant species to serving as important prey for several rare and endangered species, and more. The two main threats of a significant population drop with low likelihood of recovery are the sylvatic plague and droughts. As part of a management plan, these species are held within the range of Grassland National Park. Although this initiative is useful for preventing human-induced threats (e.g., hunting or intentional poisoning by landowners), the high concentration in such a small area makes the threat of a plague outbreak among these highly social creatures more devastating and likely irreversible. Through our analyses, we argue that the existing management plan is not sufficient to protect these species, given the projected increase of extreme climate events. As the impacts of climate change become more severe, the frequency of droughts will rise, which will simultaneously weaken the animals’ defenses against the plague. This will ultimately leave the black-tailed dog population vulnerable and there is bound to be a cascading population collapse within species in their community
The effect of temperature on active, inactive, and stereotypical behaviours in captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
Get PDFRising temperatures are the main threat to the survival of polar bears (Ursus maritius). Studying how temperature affects their main behaviours can help determine the best way to assist their adaptation to the changing climate. The purpose of this study is to compare the behavioural profiles of five captive polar bears at the Toronto Zoo across a range of temperatures. Scan sampling was used to collect data; every fifteen minutes, the bears’ locations and activities were recorded, while temperature and weather were recorded hourly. The results show that, as the temperature rises, the bears find different ways to cope. One of the five bears significantly increased stereotypical behaviours as the temperature rose. This is important because it shows that, even within a small temperature range, an increase in temperature can result in an increase in stereotypical behaviours and a decrease in animal welfare
Sprinkles and Ellie: An investigation of girlhood experience and memory
No full textIn this research study, I analyze a cultural object from a childhood experience in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The research participant chose significant objects from her childhood: two plush toy elephants she’d named Sprinkles and Ellie, gifts received during periods of hospitalization. The purpose of the study is to explore an adult-memory, using photographs of the participant as a child with her toys, in order to understand what the toys represent. The ethnographic study uses visual research methods and textual analysis to investigate the memory of a childhood experience. The adult’s memory of her relationship to the toys reveals the tension she felt between vulnerability and agency. Sprinkles and Ellie assume the role of transitional objects between the safety of home away-from-home, and remain as keepsakes in the adult’s current life
Psychological myth buster: Do we really only use 10% of our brain?
No full textThe origins of the 10% myth are elusive. There are many early scientists (e.g., Albert Einstein, Pierre Flourens), philosophers (e.g., William James), writers (e.g., Dale Carnegie) and psychologists (e.g., Karl Lashley) who inadvertently contributed to the evolution and popularization of this myth. The 10% myth is attractive to us for many reasons; it opens up a world of unknown possibilities that are both mysterious and exciting and gives us hope for improving our quality of life. In fact, if any part of the brain was removed or inactive, there would be noticeable and lasting behavioural and cognitive effects. Our brains are complex machines that require all parts to be in working order for typical healthy functioning
The role of lipids in neuronal plasticity—a link to autism spectrum disorders
Get PDFAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by deficits in social communication and by restricted and repetitive behaviours. ASD impacts 1 in 66 children and is four times more likely to appear in males. Recent research provides evidence for the link between abnormal lipid (or fats) signalling in the brain and ASD. Lipids are critical for healthy brain development, including synaptic plasticity. Synaptic (or neuronal) plasticity involves the dynamic changes of connections formed in the brain between neurons (or brain cells). Previous studies demonstrated abnormal levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), the major bioactive lipid in the brain, which can be influenced in pregnancy by environmental factors such as air pollution, aspirin, or inflammation and lead to ASD. Our lab investigates how molecular mechanisms of abnormal prenatal levels of PGE2 affect brain pathology and lead to ASD. The goal of this study is to determine if changes in the level of PGE2 can influence neuronal plasticity. We tested this in vivo in the mouse cerebellum through analysis of neuronal morphology and in vitro detection of nitric oxide (NO) production, an indicator of synaptic plasticity. We used Golgi-cox staining, confocal microscopy, and open-source software to analyze stage and sex differences of aspects of neuronal morphology. Additionally, the influence of PGE2 in regulating nitric oxide production in differentiating neurons was investigated, using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. Our novel findings show that healthy brain development is influenced by sex and neurodevelopmental stage. Furthermore, we provide evidence that exposure to PGE2 leads to increased production of nitric oxide in differentiating neurons in vitro. Our study provides insight into the importance of PGE2 signalling in neuronal plasticity; abnormal levels may influence brain development and can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD