Category Archives: Outreach Project

A New Dawn of Early Detection of Sepsis

A new method developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia could help clinicians predict sepsis within an hour using an endotoxin tolerance signature (endotoxin tolerance is defined as a reduced responsiveness to a lipopolysaccharide, also known as LPS, following a first encounter with endotoxin).

Sepsis is one of the most deadly diseases around the world. People should get awareness of  it. This image shows some symptoms of sepsis as well as the cause of sepsis. ( Image Credit: Medical Device)

Sepsis is an inflammatory disease triggered by bacterial infections. There are 18 million cases every year around the world. Diagnosis of sepsis is a race against time because for every hour delay in sepsis diagnosis, there is an eight percent increased risk of death. However, sepsis is difficult to diagnose. A basic diagnosis will take 24 to 36 hours, but with this method, proposed by Professor Bob Hancock’s research group, clinicians can start a therapy immediately.

Check out the following podcast on the background information about sepsis.

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The new method defined a gene expression signature characteristic of endotoxin tolerance. Researchers correlated this gene signature with early sepsis and determine whether this signature was associated with development of confirmed sepsis and organ dysfunction. Overall they found that the subsequent development of confirmed sepsis and suspected sepsis patients with new organ dysfunction are significantly associated with an endotoxin tolerance gene signature. All 593 sepsis patients presented an expression profile strongly associated with the endotoxin tolerance signature (p<0.01). “We could differentiate between guys who are sick but went on to sepsis and guys who did not go on to sepsis”, says Hancock, “also could differentiate guys who could go onto organ failure and guys who would not go onto organ failure.”

Equipment Professor Hancock and his research team used in the research. Photo credit: Xindi Wang

Equipment Professor Hancock and his research team used in the research. Photo credit: Xindi Wang

In the following video, Professor Hancock demonstrate techniques used in his research to find the early detection of sepsis.

A potential misunderstanding about sepsis has also been revealed in the article. Sepsis had been treated as an inflammatory disease; however, many anti-inflammatory drugs failed to treat sepsis. The gene signature, used in this new method found by Hancock’s research team, relates to cellular reprogramming which is a special type of immune-suppression. Hancock emphasizes, “If we can reverse that immune-suppression then we have a really good chance of a new therapy”.

For future research, Professor Hancock suggests that larger clinical trials should be done to confirm these findings. He also expects to increase test functionality in order to  have a fast and accurate diagnostic test for sepsis in the early stage.


 

Reference

Cavaillon, J., & Minou, A. (2006). Bench-to-bedside review: Endotoxin tolerance as a model of   leukocyte reprogramming in sepsis. Critical Care, (10)


 

By Group 2

Harsheen Chawla, Erik Johnson, Lincoln Li and Xindi Wang

To Bee or Not to Bee

Can you imagine a world without honeybees? At first glance, bees can be quite frightening, especially if you are allergic to them.  However, honeybee populations are currently on a steady decline and a loss of these insects can have serious effects on our society.  As it is these small pollinators that have a hand in providing us with a third of what you see in all produce departments. Not to mention, the delicious honey that they provide us.

honey-bees

A group of honey bees. Image credit: Pixabay.com

Pollination is an incredibly important step in producing new healthy plants, some of which are used as food by humans and other species. There are two types of pollination: cross-pollination and self-pollination. Cross-pollination is the process of plant reproduction that requires an external mechanism, such as insects or wind, to transfer the pollen of one plant to another plant of the same species. On the other hand, self-pollination only needs the pollen produced by itself to reproduce.

If pollinators, such as bees, are not in abundance, it can put pressure on plants to self-pollinate, which can lower genetic diversity in plants. A decrease in genetic diversity in one species can lead to a decrease in biodiversity among species’ which can be very harmful to an ecosystem.  Some plants can self-pollinate without penalty, but for others, pollinators are crucial to maintaining genetic diversity in the species.

P1080306 Bombus Rhinanthus

A bumblebee and Rhinanthus minor. Image credit: Dr. Hargreaves

In research led by Dr. Anna Hargreaves, a herb called Rhinanthus minor was studied in the Rocky mountains of Alberta. Interestingly, this herb is able to self-pollinate successfully, but also produces flowers that attract bees to promote cross-pollination. She investigated how a reduction in bee visitations might affect the distribution of the plant. Watch the video below for more details on her research.

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As mentioned earlier, honeybee populations are quickly declining. This is a problem because honeybees are considered to be the primary pollinator of the majority of human food crops. There are several causes thought to affect honeybee populations, including several chemicals contained in pesticides used in agriculture. For this reason, it is important to take immediate action to prevent a decline in the honeybee population.

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Image credit (from podcast) : www.flickr.com

Next time you’re eating peaches, honey, or receiving flowers as a gift, think about how bees have contributed to your life, and what you can do to make sure these products and the bees are available in the future.

Stay buzzy as a bee,

Group 3
Candace Chang, Dixon Leroux, Dorothy Ordogh, & Rafael Alfaro

3-D Printer Changes Building Industry

Have you heard about the new innovative technology, the 3-D printer? Well, the 3-D printer is a printer which has been recently developed and is presumed as the “ultimate builder” for practically anything. From medical equipment to bones and body parts, the 3-D printer is capable making of countless things.

Mojo 3D Printer Photocredits: Wikimedia Commons

Until recently, the 3-D printer was only able to print small objects. The 3-D printer has now been designed for larger scaled objects, such as printing houses and other infrastructures. A Chinese company calleded Winsun has claimed to have built 10 houses in 24 hours (see video below). While in other places, such as Amsterdam, there is a company, DUS Architect, that is replacing cement and mortar with bio-based renewable resources to build houses using 3-D printers. (A link to the DUS Architect Video story)

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Video credit: New China TV

The new technology will be much safer than the conventional method of building and will be cheaper. Alternative materials can be used instead of cement and other common building materials, which are be environmentally threatening. This idea of a machine replacing thousands of construction workers may not sound appealing, but there are some places in the world where there are not enough workers. For example, in developing countries, the working conditions are harsh and workers may not have the correct tools to build a safe house. If a house can be built in 24 hours, people will have a much sturdier and safer house with minimal labor and can be much more affordable.

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

3-D printers may just be the starting point of a completely different lifestyle for the future. With the countless number of uses it has, 3-D printers can replace many machines and potentially reduce harmful actions such as pollution.

-Tommy Kim

Creating Electricity – the FUN way

Around 1.3 billion people in the world lack  access to a reliable electricity source. What if there was a partial solution to this electricity scarcity? Soccket – a electricity producing soccer ball – is a new innovation that was founded in 2011. This soccer ball generates electricity by converting mechanical energy (from kicking or hitting the ball) into electrical energy.

President Obama kicks Soccket Source: DailyMail

President Obama kicks Soccket ball. Source: DailyMail

Soccer is the most inexpensive and popular sport enjoyed worldwide. All you need is a soccer ball whether it be a normal soccer ball or a ball made from straws. You just need a ball and some markers down for goal posts to play.

Soccket is just like any soccer ball except for its high technology. Soccket weighs 17 ounces (1 ounce heavier than a normal soccer ball) and it is embedded with high-coiled sensors that convert energy. A plug is located on the outside for LED lamps or for charging mobile phones. It is estimated that 30 minutes of playing soccer with Soccket can result in up to 3 hours of power for a LED lamp.

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Kids playing soccer. Source: pixabay

Kids playing soccer. Source: pixabay

In underdeveloped countries, having an off-grid power source, as they mention, is very rare. With the help of Soccket, kids will be able to bring home a light source to help them with their homework, or to read a book at night. The future plan is to distribute Soccket balls to schools so that kids can play and have fun, while generating electricity at the same time.

The project has now expanded to making jump ropes that generate up to 2 hours of electricity with 15 minutes of jumping (about 4 times more efficient than Soccket). With advancing technology and research, the world can enjoy creating energy.

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– Tommy Kim