Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Do Males Feel What Females Feel? Investigating the Influence of Sex on Haptic Abilities","authors":"Isha Suri, Tim Wilson","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2023-24.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2023-24.2","url":null,"abstract":"Interacting with objects in one’s environment is a part of life, and at all times these interactions require the use of somatosensory systems, whether it be visual, auditory, or haptic. Within visual realms, spatial abilities (SA) represent the cognitive capacity to remember & manipulate mental representations of objects to problem solve. Haptic abilities (HA) refer to the cognitive ability to acquire information & meaningfully manipulate objects through touch. Males consistently outperform females on standardized SA tests such as the Mental Rotations Test (MRT). The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of sex on HA, which is currently unknown. Given the removal of any visual spatial advantage in solely haptic tasks, it was hypothesized that although males outperform females on spatial ability tasks, this sex difference will be removed in tasks measuring HA. The MRT was used to measure SA, and a 3D version of the MRT coined the Haptic Abilities Test (HAT) was used to measure HA. The HAT was completed under two test conditions: a haptic (H) condition required the use of solely touch, while the other condition used sight & haptics (SH) to discriminate shape. Males outperformed females in the SH condition. However, this sex difference was eliminated in the purely haptic (H) HAT condition. In this condition, both sexes arrived at solutions through the differential use of haptic exploratory strategies. Given pandemic-driven migrations to online education where no haptics are possible, these findings raise concerns. Specifically, if haptics work to reduce the advantage males have over females when completing spatial tasks, the current online shift adversely affects females. Understanding the influence of sex on haptics can therefore result in more equitable learning environments. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"345 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141012099","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":"Steamer Ducks: To Fly or Not to Fly","authors":"Jordan Lindzon, Patricia Gray","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2023-24.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2023-24.1","url":null,"abstract":"Many extant bird species have independently lost the ability to fly. This phenotypic convergence involving the loss of an ancestral trait is apparent in steamer ducks (Tachyeres), a genus comprising four recently diverged species. Steamer ducks are currently in a transitional zone between flight and flightlessness, presenting a unique opportunity to study the evolution of flight loss while the transformation is still in progress. Dynamic and sporadic flight capabilities within and between the species provide valuable insight into the genotypic and morphological bases of avian flightlessness.","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":" 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140682884","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":"The Effects of Mental Health Conditions and Sex on Standing Balance in Undergraduate Students","authors":"Kathryn J. Schulze, Jackie S. Tucker, J. Dickey","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2022-23.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2022-23.7","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract \u0000  \u0000Purpose: Balance is important to human functioning and is required to carry out daily tasks. Studies have shown that females have better balance than males. Mental health conditions are prevalent in undergraduate students, and we are unsure of their impact on balance. The purpose of this study was to investigate if sex or a mental health condition (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder, depression, or a combination of these conditions) are associated with changes in single-leg balance performance in undergraduate university students. Additionally, a secondary purpose was to investigate the relationship between weekly physical activity and balance performance.   \u0000Method: Sixty-nine (36 female, and 33 male) undergraduate students at Western University participated in this study. Participants completed three standardized assessment questionnaires to identify individuals with scores consistent with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Individuals with more than one of these conditions formed the multiple condition group. The control group consisted of individuals that did not show scores that were consistent with a mental health condition. A Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire was completed to quantify weekly physical activity, and a personal activity score was calculated for each participant. Finally, three 20-second single-leg standing balance trials were performed on a force plate, and balance performance was quantified using the path length. A two-way ANOVA assessed the relationship between sex and mental health conditions on standing balance. \u0000Results: There was no statistically significant interaction between sex and mental health conditions (P=0.15). However, path length in the multiple condition group was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05). In terms of activity scores and balance, there were no apparent trends between males and females nor between the different mental health groups. Conclusion: Our results indicate that sex was not associated with significant differences in balance performance, and that students with multiple mental health conditions had significantly worse single-leg balance performance than controls. Additionally, weekly physical activity was not associated with better balance performance. These results could be valuable for  clinicians when diagnosing balance related conditions, such as concussions. \u0000  \u0000Key Terms: Mental health, balance, single-leg, physical activity \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125640494","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":"The Neurobiology of Anorexia Nervosa and Abnormal Reward Learning Processes: A Systematic Review","authors":"Joshua Poulin","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2022-23.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2022-23.6","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract \u0000Objective: Given the array of neuroimaging studies examining the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa, the purpose of this paper was to further highlight localized neurobiological abnormalities when examining reward learning pathways in patients suffering from AN. \u0000Methods: Literature searches using PsycINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE were conducted in March of 2022 using search terms relating to AN, reward learning, and neuroimaging. Relevant studies that were included must be written in English, have at least one clinical sample of either acute and/or recovered adult and/or adolescent female patients with anorexia nervosa, be controlled studies with a healthy female control group, be published in a peer-reviewed journal, and containing a neuroimaging component. \u0000Results: For this systematic review, 20 relevant studies were included to elucidate the brain regional and functional differences with respect to reward learning pathways in individuals with AN when compared to healthy controls. These differences include dopamine neuron and cortisol release abnormalities in relation to dopaminergic pathways, as well as regional differences involved in reward learning subconstructs that include reward expectancies, punishment sensitivity, social reward, and body dissatisfaction and body image distortion. \u0000Conclusion: In examining the brain regional and functional differences across individuals with AN with respect to the reward learning construct, further research efforts that focus on these important reward learning abnormalities might help inform the development of new clinical interventions aimed at these particular pathways.","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"83 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132865627","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":"Literature Analysis on Stachybotrys chartarum and Connections to Sick Building Syndrome","authors":"Alison Pert","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2022-23.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2022-23.5","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Sick building syndrome is defined as components of infrastructure that are harmful to human health in various ways ranging from noxious, harmful building materials to toxic fungal contaminants (1). There is mounting emphasis on the need for healthy, sustainably developed buildings as the amount of scientific literature published about sick building syndrome increases. Specifically, there is growing attention regarding the presence of contaminant fungi in buildings and the possible adverse human health effects upon exposure (2). Further, the estimated prevalence of Canadian homes with indoor mold growth is pervasive due to unwanted moisture accumulation in building structures (3). Despite the increasing abundance of scientific research, the existing literature does refer to established knowledge gaps; this includes the need for more primary, quantitative research observing the health effects of indoor mold exposure (3). Black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) is thought to induce a variety of respiratory, mucosal, and dermatological symptoms in humans (1, 3, 4). These symptoms may arise by direct exposure to spores, indirect exposure or hypersensitivity to fungal antigens, or exposure to mycotoxins which may make inhabitants of contaminated buildings chronically ill (3). Mycotoxins are metabolite products of molds, typically found in mold spores which are the agents of sexual reproduction. The pathogenesis of mold sickness varies from species to species, but all molds found indoors should be treated as a potential hazard risk due to the unknown range of possible consequences after exposure (5). A comprehensive literature review examining the potential health effects of black mold exposure will help to emphasize and articulate the need for employers and homeowners to prioritize building decontamination. \u0000","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131986364","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":"Parents’ A priori Expectations of an Obesity Focused Intervention and What They Found Valuable from its Health Education Webinars","authors":"Varsha Vasudevan, Shazya Karmali, J. Irwin","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.5","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT \u0000Purpose: Explore parents with obesity’s: (1) a priori expectations of what they wanted to gain from participating in an obesity-focused intervention compared to (2) post-participation views of what was valuable from the webinar-based health education sessions. \u0000Design: A before and after descriptive study, baseline interviews gleaned parents’ motivations for program participation. Following 6 webinar-based health education sessions focused on physical activity (PA) and nutrition in the family unit, parents’ perceptions of what was valuable were collected. \u0000Setting: Community-dwelling members in southwestern Ontario. \u0000Participants: “Parents” (N=50) were adults with a body mass index of 25+ kg/m2 and had a child of any body composition, aged 2.5 – 10. \u0000Methods:  Inductive content analyses were employed on semi-structured qualitative interview transcripts and written responses to open-ended questions. \u0000Results: Wanting to provide a healthier life for their children was a prominent finding from parents’ baseline interviews. From the webinars, information on local PA resources and on creating positive food environments were especially valuable. In total, there were 7 themes and 4 sub-themes from the baseline interviews; 7 themes and 7 sub-themes from the PA webinars; and 7 themes and 11 sub-themes from the nutrition webinars. \u0000Conclusions: Parents found the webinars addressed various concepts they hoped to gain from their participation in the intervention. Results from these webinars can inform other parent-focused family interventions on important components when crafting future webinars. \u0000Keywords: parents, health education, obesity, overweight","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125364460","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":"Cultural safe healthcare initiatives, implementations, and recommendations, for Indigenous peoples of Canada: a systematic review","authors":"Paige Stevenson, Joshua K. Tobias","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.4","url":null,"abstract":"The health of Indigenous peoples across Canada continues to be significantly impacted by experiences of racism when seeking healthcare. Implementing cultural safety was identified by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada as a critical way to mitigate these negative health consequences. This systematic review aims to outline cultural safety and its associated derivatives in academia, what cultural safety is, and why it is important in the context of indigenous healthcare. A systematic search of PubMed was carried out refining searches to Canadian contexts, published after December of 2015, and limited to peer-reviewed reviews and systematic reviews. A thematic review of the articles identified four central ideas of importance regarding the information presented in the papers; definitions of cultural safety and associated derivatives, the importance of including culture in healthcare, recommendations to healthcare settings, and evaluation methods of cultural safety initiatives. It is clear that there is a need for an explicit and consistent definition of cultural safety with the inclusion of Indigenous peoples in the creation of this definition. To determine effectiveness, gaps and areas for improvement, evaluation methods inclusive of the unique Indigenous worldviews are imperative to develop culturally safe healthcare practices and institutions. ","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"1997 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132491317","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":"Misinformation and Lack of Evidence-Based Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review.","authors":"Prabhnoor Chhatwal, Mariana Papaioanou, Sajjad Fazel, Shannon Sibbald","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.1","url":null,"abstract":"Social media and online communication are integral in how societies consume information today. As social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube) support the spread and reach of information to over a billion users worldwide, health promotion strategies aim to improve the public’s ability to obtain accurate online health content. The current COVID-19 pandemic is paralleled by an overabundance of information, making it difficult to determine what is valid and credible and what is false. Misinformation surrounding prevention measures and cures can lead to negative public health effects. The WHO is working collaboratively with social media platforms to track and respond to misinformation by validating evidence-based facts, providing warning labels on inaccurate content, and removing posts that make false claims to reduce the spread of misinformation related to COVID-19. This narrative review aims to summarize the effects of social media during a public health emergency and explore the current and newly implemented policies that aim to limit the spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will examine the addition of health literacy initiatives through multimedia campaigns to strengthen community action and develop personal skills, as identified in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, to react and reflect on information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight a gap in the literature related to information sharing and consumption and provide recommendations for promoting public health literacy and improving the online presence of public health professionals. ","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124698184","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":"Mixing and Matching in the Evolution of Hemoglobin","authors":"Supreet Singh, P. Gray","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.3","url":null,"abstract":"Hemoglobin, a multi-subunit protein used for oxygen transport to peripheral tissues in animals, has a rich evolutionary history that spans over 500 million years. Repeated use of pre-existing genes has generated novel functions, usually by means of gene duplication events that are followed by co-option. Consequently, the evolution of hemoglobin is a valuable model in understanding the conservative use of extant genetic resources to gradually build metabolic complexity.","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"109 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123105656","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":"Rapid Speciation of the London Underground Mosquito (Culex pipiens molestus)","authors":"Youssef Garras, P. Gray","doi":"10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2021-22.2","url":null,"abstract":"In evolutionary biology, speciation is often perceived as a gradual evolutionary process spanning thousands of generations. However, the emergence of the London Underground mosquito (Culex pipiens molestus) from the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens) illustrates a recent, observable speciation event. Via allopatric speciation, the mosquito population in London’s underground railway system evolved distinct behavioural and physiological characteristics, becoming isolated and successful in its unique underground environment. The two mosquito species are significantly genetically distinct, and various reproductive barriers exist between them. The London Underground mosquito demonstrates a rapid speciation event that occurred over only a couple generations and is a strong model of evolution.","PeriodicalId":321920,"journal":{"name":"Western Undergraduate Research Journal: Health and Natural Sciences","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115716685","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}