The Escalator to Extinction

Posted on April 14, 2021 by | Leave a comment

On those rare summer days when the temperature is climbing to nearly forty degrees celsius, you have probably dreamed of climbing into a freezer. Well, this desperation to escape the heat is not unique to us. As humanity drives the temperature up through global warming, many tropical species are in desperate need of a good fan. But with a lack of appliances in the tropical wilderness, they are starting to migrate up mountains to escape the heat. However, this one way escalator ride up the mountain may be leading to extinction. 

Source: Pixabay.com

Dr. Freeman’s Research: 

Dr. Benjamin Freeman, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of British Columbia, aims to understand how global warming is impacting where montane (mountain-dwelling) species live. His recent study highlights how climate change is causing species to shift upward, which can lead to the extinction of species living higher up on mountains. This phenomenon is known as the “escalator to extinction” which is explained by the video below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOoO2_DxwS0&ab_channel=MatthewLim

To make these conclusions, Dr. Freeman examined datasets from various studies that measured elevational shifts associated with global warming over the last 100 years. Based on his findings, the escalator to extinction is around the corner for tropical montane species. 

Effects of the escalator to extinction: 

This phenomenon can have various effects on montane species and our society as discussed in the following podcast.

Thank you to freesound.org for providing the sound effects used in our podcast (plasterbrain, InspectorJ)

In the podcast, Dr. Freeman mentions that less available land at higher altitudes of a mountain are threatening montane species. 

Why is this the case?

Less available land at higher altitudes often means less resources for organisms to use. Thus, as species continue to shift upslope to evade the heat, there will be increased competition within species populations and between different species. This competition for resources such as food and habitat will likely result in the strongest species surviving, and lead to extirpations (loss of species populations) of weaker species. Some examples of extirpations caused by the escalator to extinction are populations of the White-eared Solitaire and Fulvous-breasted Flatbill as found by a previous study by Dr. Freeman.

Furthermore, temperature-dependent (requiring specific temperature to survive) crop diseases such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens shifting upslope can greatly affect human populations living in mountains. For example, introducing new crop diseases can lead to lower crop yields. Thus, human communities in mountains can potentially face unexpected food shortages, and be forced to find different sources of food. 

How can we prevent this? 

If we cannot stop global warming, we must guide animals to higher elevations to save them from extinction. Many species go extinct because they are restricted from higher elevations due to human agricultural activities that divide up lands. One possible way to facilitate their upward migration is through the development of corridors that give species a path to higher elevations. In addition, we can plant trees at higher altitudes to provide new habitats for these displaced organisms.

Once grown, these newly planted trees will provide accessible habitats for species and as a result, potentially reduce extirpation events. 

Source: commons.wikimedia.org/

But really, the best thing we can do is raise awareness of this critical issue.

-Karnvir Dhillon, Declan O’Driscoll, Samantha Nalliah, Matthew Lim 

 

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Replacing UV Lights with a “Green” Alternative

Posted on April 14, 2021 by | Leave a comment

With summer just around the corner, it’s nearing that time of year where we start slapping on sunscreen to protect ourselves. After all, it’s well known that ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can damage our DNA. Despite this, UV light is still used for all sorts of applications – ranging from UV lamps at nail salons, to the hardening of resins.

A UV lamp in action. Source: cottonbro, Pexel.

The question remains: is it necessary to use UV light in these processes?

Good news: no!

Alternatives to UV light for similar processes have been recently identified by researchers. One such researcher is Taylor Wright, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia. In 2020, Wright developed a safe, low-cost method which uses harmless green LED lights instead of UV light. Wanting to learn more about this research, we sat down for an interview with Wright.

Into the details of cross-linking

The previously mentioned applications (UV lamps, resin hardening) are examples of a process called cross-linking. For an explanation of cross-linking, as well as a walkthrough of Wright’s cross-linking method of a material called polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), please refer to the following video:

Okay… why should I care about this?

As we’ve previously said, frequent use of UV light in cross-linking processes poses a health risk to workers. By substituting with green LEDs, Wright’s newly developed method could help eliminate potential health complications in workers who deal with cross-linking processes.

But wait, there’s more! This research can also be applied to the biomedical field, through making antimicrobial fabrics. Turns out, by slightly altering the chemical properties of PDMS, we can give PDMS antimicrobial properties. By dipping a piece of fabric into liquid PDMS, then cross-linking to produce a solid PDMS coating, we can produce antimicrobial fabrics! The diagram below helps visualize the process.

Step-by-step walkthrough of making the antimicrobial fabric. Source: Wright’s 3MT

This would have important implications for reducing the rate of infections in high-risk settings, such as hospitals. In the US alone, there are approximately 100,000 deaths resulting from infections acquired in a healthcare setting. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic that we’ve been in for a whole year now, this application has never been more relevant. Wright’s low-cost, simple, and safe method of producing antimicrobial fabrics could be crucial in reducing the impacts of any future pandemics.

Beyond the research

Although we learned much about his research during our interview with Wright, we were also able to get a glimpse into the person behind the science. To hear about his journey that resulted in the person he is today, listen to this week’s episode of Vancity Science, a podcast run by one of our members, Chie!

Audio sources: Blue Dot Sessions, Free To Use Sound – Royalty Free Sound Effects, Kyster, SnakeBarney, dobroide, KelliesKitchen, ZyryTSounds, ShadyDave, InspectorJ

 

Special thanks to Taylor Wright – we are excited to see further innovations by scientists with unique perspectives that can make the world a safer and better place!

– Sam Jung, Chie Nakayama, Madeline Filewych

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Global Warming: A Death Wish for Fish

Posted on April 14, 2021 by | Leave a comment

After a study done in 2020 using computer simulations, Dr. William Cheung and his team from the University of British Columbia found a concerning fate for our fish: as a result of increased ocean temperatures, the fish populations in the northeast Pacific Ocean are predicted to decline significantly by 2050.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Credit: CruiseExperts, cruiseexperts.com

We take for granted how large and beautiful our oceans really are. They are full of life, and house over 2 million different species of animals ranging from the beautiful coral reefs in Australia, to the largest animals ever discovered. However, imagine if the oceans were empty, and life no one longer existed underwater. Sadly, this is becoming a reality, and according to marine expert Dr. William Cheung, we are headed straight in this direction.

Continued global warming resulting from our emissions has caused the temperature of surface ocean waters to steadily increase. These rises in temperature have led to a doubling of marine heatwaves, or periods of extremely high temperatures in ocean waters, since around 1982 (as seen in the graph below), in turn significantly affecting all marine life, especially fish.

Large Recent Increases in Marine Heatwaves
Credit: Climate Central, climatecentral.org

Dr. Cheung not only identified patterns of current decline in fish populations as a result of marine heatwaves, but has predicted significant future decline as global warming continues. In fact, Dr. Cheung predicts that populations of common fish species such as sockeye salmon will decrease by more than 40% by 2100. These predictions are based on the assumption that we do not change our current emission trends, which does not have to be the case.

You might not think this, but you, me, and every single person on this planet plays a part in our global warming problem. Everyday decisions such as driving your car can contribute to global warming and have downstream effects in marine environments, as described in the video below.

Although there are new policies tackling climate change, and large progressions made in the right direction, according to Dr. Cheung, this is still not enough. He says,

“We really need to pick up the pace and accelerate the actions against climate change.” 

So what can I do to help?

Fixing a global problem like climate change requires global contributions, and it starts with all of us. Although it might be true that your changes alone wouldn’t stop climate change, if all 7.6 billion people on the planet made one small positive change, the effects would be enormous. The TeamTrees podcast below highlights the many different ways we can start protecting the future of our oceans now.

Thank you to freesound.org (Robinhood76, SomeoneCool15, Simon_Lacelle, Votichez, Sentuniman) for providing the sound effects used in our podcast.

If we are to save the fish and the rest of marine life from these increasingly prevalent marine heatwaves, we need to act now.

~SO Group #3: William, Jessica, Balkaran, Adam

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Chemistry for Cancer: New Radioactive Tracers for Cancer Diagnosis

Posted on April 13, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Cutting-edge chemistry may be the key to fast and efficient cancer diagnoses. In early 2020, Antonio Wong and his research team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, BC, developed a new way to synthesize radioactive tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) scan cancer diagnosis. Recently, I interviewed Antonio to discuss his research.

The Problem 

Imaging technologies like the CT scan, ultrasound, X-ray, MRI, and PET scans allow doctors to identify cancerous masses in patients. Although PET scans are a common way to diagnose cancer, researchers want to find ways to make tracers more efficiently. So, Antonio and his team aimed to develop a new kind of tracer and to make the synthetic process more efficient.

PET scan and technician, Source: http://www.bccancer.bc.ca

The Science 

Since cancer cells divide quickly and uncontrollably, they require many more cellular “building blocks” compared to regular cells. Taking advantage of this, researchers have previously developed “tagged” versions of  these building blocks, called tracers, which accumulate inside cancer cells. This allows doctors to see tumors in PET scan images. When I spoke to Antonio, he explained that the “golden standard” for PET imaging uses a sugar molecule called glucose tagged with a radioactive fluoride atom (called FDG) which is responsible for the glow on medical images. To see how tracers work, check out this video below.

Combining innovation and creativity, Antonio’s team developed a more efficient way to make these tiny building blocks by using a careful mixture of chemicals. They used a molecule called thymidine which is required for cell division, tagged it with a radioactive atom (18F), and injected into mice with cancer. The mice were then put into a PET scan to see if the building blocks were “building up” inside the tumors, which would glow on the PET scan images.

Tracer synthesis, Source: Antonio’s Paper

The Impact 

When Antonio ran this study, he was an undergraduate student at UBC. As a result, his story has caught the attention of students on campus. After my interview with Antonio, my colleague Parwaz, a UBC student who runs a podcast called “Thinkin’ a Latte”, chatted with two other UBC undergraduates about the interview. Check out their podcast below.

Although the study’s findings are promising, using thymidine-based tracers for PET tumor imaging requires much more research before it can be used in clinics. 

“I think the significance of this paper is not like ‘look this is the next blockbuster drug that we’re trying to use’, this is more like a proof of concept”

– Antonio Wong

Nonetheless, cancer is a prevalent disease that has touched the lives of almost everyone and research like Antonio’s is bringing much needed innovation and creativity to the field.

– Maya Bird 

Co-authors: Parwaz, Samin, and Teaya 

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Reusable Grocery Bags… It’s Complicated

Posted on April 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

I hope you don’t like your groceries in a plastic bag, because that may be a thing of the past very soon! As the world looks to reduce plastic waste, many countries have banned the use of single-use plastic bags – with Vancouver to follow suit by 2021. Greener alternatives—biodegradable or compostable (BoC) plastic bags, paper bags, reusable plastic bags, and cotton totes—have been steadily becoming more popular for many shoppers.

Some alternatives to single-use plastic bags. Adapted from Plastic Education.

But what’s really the truth? How much better are these so-called greener alternatives?

What if I told you that the chic tote you bought for yourself is actually much, much worse for the environment than a plastic bag?

What’s it take to make these bags?

To get a good grasp of the environmental impact these bags can have, we need to look at the full picture. Turns out, the bulk of the environmental impact of these bags come from the production stage. Let’s have a quick overview of how each type of bag is made.

The single-use plastic bag—in all of its environmentally unfriendly glory—is produced from petroleum. The thicker, reusable plastic bags are also made from petroleum, except they require quite more. On the other hand, we make BoC plastic bags from plant-based materials such as starch! Wood pulp is required for paper bags, and of course, cotton (which requires loads of resources) is needed to make cotton totes.

A cotton field. Source: Jimmy Smith, Flickr

So how does this play into the environmental impact?

There are many studies called life cycle assessments (LCA) which examine how a product is made, used, then disposed of. In 2018, the Denmark Environmental Protection Agency conducted a LCA of the different types of grocery bags. For each type, they looked at the total environmental impact (greenhouse gas release, ozone depletion, water depletion, toxicity, and more).

“Greener alternative”… well, no, not really.

The big question is, how many times do you need to use your reusable bags in order to have less impact than if you used single-use plastic bags?

You might want to hold onto your seat. For the total environmental impact, you’d want to use your BoC plastic bags, paper bags, and reusable plastic bags at least 40 times in order to beat single-use plastic bags. And for the cotton tote? You would need to reuse it 7100 times. It’s even higher for organic cotton, since organic crop yields are lower: try 20000 times. If you use your tote three times a week, it would take 45 years (128 if organic) to break even with single-use plastic bags!

It’s intuitive to think that the greener alternatives would be better for the environment. Single-use plastic bags do not break down, and end up in landfills, whereas alternatives could be either biodegradable or used many, many times before they break and become unusable. It goes to show that it’s important to consider not just the disposal of a product, but also the production and resources that go into making it.

For more information, check out this video from SciShow!

 

-Sam Jung

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Robots Can Help Children with Autism Learn

Posted on April 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

About 1 in every  160 children globally has autism spectrum disorder. Most of them face developmental delays such as behavioral challenges and difficulties with social interaction. This makes learning new skills a serious challenge for them, especially in traditional schools.

It has been reported that socially assistive robots can help autistic children learn, but only if the robot can accurately interpret their behavior and react appropriately. In 2020, researchers at the University of Southern California developed a personalized learning robot called Kiwi for children with autism.

Kiwi, a personalized learning robot for autistic children. Source: kcet.org

Kiwi Teaching Math and Social Skills

Kiwi uses math games and an algorithm that monitors the child’s math performance to provide appropriate feedback and change the games’ level of difficulty accordingly.

While the content of the game focuses on math, the main purpose is to teach the kids fundamental social skills through their interactions with the robot, such as turn-taking (is it my turn or Kiwi’s turn to talk?) and eye contact (should I look at Kiwi when I’m talking?). Kiwi also uses data such as dialogue and eye contact to predict whether children are engaged in a given activity. If it detects that the child is not engaged, it tries to re-engage them for an extended period of time. When tested, Kiwi managed to reach a 90% accuracy in predicting the child’s engagement.

Collecting Data from a Realistic Environment

The study is based on the information collected after leaving Kiwi with 17 autistic children for a month in their homes. Participants regularly played the games on Kiwi’s attached tablet. The robot would then give personalized feedback through a reinforcement-learning algorithm. This algorithm enables Kiwi to elicit the best possible feedback by modifying its response based on each child’s reaction in the same way as the study’s lead author describes:

“If you think of a real learning environment, the teacher is going to learn things about the child, and the child will learn things from them. It’s a bidirectional process and that doesn’t happen with current robotic systems. This study aims to make robots smarter by understanding the child’s behavior and responding to it in real-time.”

The following video shows the robot, its interaction with an autistic child, and the researchers’ insights about it:

YouTube Preview Image

Source: NSF|YouTube

Surprising Results

Assessments were conducted for each participant before and after the month-long interventions. The results surpassed the researchers’ expectations of participants’ improvement. At the end of the study, 100% of the participants demonstrated improved math skills; 92% of them also improved in social skills.

Despite having promising results, such interventions are typically inaccessible to most people due to their high costs. The hope is that in the future, such socially assistive robots become affordable and turn into personalized therapeutic companions for all autistic children to improve their development.

I’ll leave you with the following short film telling the story of an autistic boy improving his social skills with the help of Kiwi:

YouTube Preview Image

Source: USCViterbi|YouTube

-Samin Shadravan

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Treating Congenital Heart Disease: Lab-created Heart Valves

Posted on April 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

The world’s most common birth defect, congenital heart disease (CHD), affects around 1 in 100 Canadian children born each year. It is a condition where the heart does not develop or function properly. Some forms of CHD only require medical check-ups, while others, especially among children, are more complex and can require several surgeries. A 2021 research study led by Dr. Robert Tranquillo explains a promising approach using lab-created heart valves that can prevent the need for multiple surgeries when treating various forms of CHD in children.

Source: flickr.com

What is Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)?

Congenital heart disease includes all defects present at birth in one or more of the heart’s structures— valves, arteries, chambers, or wall tissue. Our hearts play an important role in maintaining blood flow throughout the body. Therefore, defects in the heart must be treated for the body to function properly.

Source: CNN | Youtube

THE PROBLEM: CURRENT AVAILABLE TREATMENTS

When it comes to treating heart valve defects, there is still no replacement heart valve that can grow and continue to function as a child grows. As a result, children must undergo multiple valve replacement surgeries. The current treatment uses valves made from chemically treated animal tissue. In addition to children outgrowing these valves, they are also known to become dysfunctional due to calcium build-up. As a result, children will have to endure around five or more open-heart surgeries. This can be exhausting, painful, and inconvenient for both children and their families.

PROMISING ALTERNATIVE: LAB-CREATED HEART VALVES

Dr. Tranquillo and his team have created heart valves that are capable of growing within a patient. In addition, they have almost no calcium build-up and can be stored for at least six months. Although this study was only done on lambs, it holds great potential when it comes to reducing the number of surgeries required for children with valve defects. As stated by Dr. Tranquillo,

“This is a huge step forward in pediatric heart research.”

Below is the echocardiogram showing this replacement valve opening and closing within a lamb’s heart. 

Source: College of Science and Engineering, UMN | Youtube

      How was this done?

The researchers created tubes from the donor sheep’s skin cells using tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. They combined the cells with a gelatin-like material and provided them with nutrients to grow. Following this, they washed away the sheep cells leaving behind tubes. Three tubes were sewn together to create a tri-tube that replicates a human heart valve. The tri-tubes were put into the hearts of three lambs and monitored. After 52 weeks, they saw a significant growth of the valves (19mm to about 25mm), strongly suggesting that the valves grew within the lambs.

THE FUTURE

The next steps are to test whether the lab-created heart valve can function in a child. Dr. Tranquillo’s research, if someday approved in children, could significantly improve the lives of children diagnosed with congenital heart disease, specifically heart valve defects. Overall, this would be a huge breakthrough in pediatric heart care.

– Samantha Nalliah

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Napping = Lazy?: The Genetics Behind Afternoon Naps

Posted on April 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Most humans spend around one-third of their lives sleeping. However, the word “nap” has negative connotations of laziness and lack of self-discipline because of the busy and competitive nature of the current world. The loss of daytime productivity because of naps often leads to self-criticism and loss of self-confidence, which forms the perspective on naps as a waste of time.  Research has discovered that your genes control your desire for daytime naps, and you may be at a significant disadvantage if you love daytime naps.

The Genetics of Nap-Lovers

On contrary to the public perception that environmental or behavioral choices determine the desire for daytime naps, those desires are biologically driven by genes. It’s true that whether we take a daytime nap or not depends on our choices. However, recent research (2021) identified 123 regions in the human genome that are associated with daytime napping. For example, mutation of the genes associated with the production of orexin, a brain chemical that regulates wakefulness, explains why some people nap more than others. Therefore, these nap-promoting gene variants drive daytime naps, not the laziness of the nap-lovers. 

Sleeping on the Sofa | A daytime nap on the sofa-- what a gr… | Flickr

Source: flikr.com

However, that does not mean that there are no disadvantages to these gene variants. Aside from the loss of daytime productivity, the researchers found that some of the gene variants that promote naps have a connection with health risk factors. They found that the nap-lovers generally have larger waist circumference and higher blood pressure compared to those that don’t take naps. 

 

The Genetics of Super Sleepers

On the other hand, another research (2019) discovered the gene of “super sleepers,” a rare breed of humans that requires a shorter duration of sleep. They found that individuals who had inherited an extremely rare gene named DEC2 only require around six hours of sleep per night for full recovery from fatigue. Also, the researchers claim that the super sleepers do not suffer any adverse health effects of chronic sleep deprivation such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia; instead, they tend to be more optimistic, energetic, and even have a longer life expectancy.

arm, back, muscles photo, Fitness, Men, Sports, Gym, Exercise | Piqsels

Source: piqsels.com

Fortunately, as much as it seems unfair, further studies on super sleepers may help the general population overcome their complications concerning sleep. According to Dr. Ying-Hui Fu, a professor of neurology at the University of California, the sleep quality and efficiency of super sleepers are naturally better; thus, the advantage in health and no need for naps. By analyzing how DEC2 induces superior sleep quality, the researchers anticipate resolving sleep disorders for normal sleepers and optimize their sleep efficiency.

Recommendation for Nap-Lovers

Health professional recommends daytime naps of around three times a week; however, you may want to suspect the quality of your nighttime sleep if you desire naps every day. Although the disadvantages mentioned above may not be happy news for nap-lovers, you must acknowledge the disadvantage and pay more attention to your sleep schedule and health.

Here’s an informative video on daytime naps to end off:

YouTube Preview Image

-Matthew Lim

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