Turning Back the Clock: Dying Young at an Old Age

Aging, which impacts living organisms from yeast to humans, is characterized by the progressive decline in physiological integrity and function over time. This decline results in increased susceptibility to age-related diseases, and ultimately death. Researchers have identified nine molecular and cellular hallmarks of aging that contribute to the aging phenotype: Genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication. In addition to characterizing the aging process, researchers have also discovered manipulations of these hallmarks that introduce the possibility of living not just living longer, but living healthier for longer. The purpose of this literature review is to explore some of these possibilities, such as dietary restriction and several pharmaceutical interventions, in addition to examining the genetic aspects of aging. Research in aging and longevity is an exciting new field. Humans are currently living longer than ever before. This increased lifespan, however, does not necessarily correspond to an increased healthspan. An aging population is one of the most significant challenges facing our healthcare system. Although there are ethical considerations, by increasing healthspan, illness in old age could be reduced, thereby improving individual quality of life while simultaneously alleviating strain on both the economy and healthcare system

Creating crafty quiz questions through moodle modulation

When designing our Moodle shells, instructors have enormous freedom to customize their content delivery so that it appeals to students and encourages engagement in the subject. One of the challenges of the virtual platform is a balance; creating formative assessments that accurately represent a student’s understanding of the material while not placing a huge time burden on the instructor to either create or assess. Plain text questions (e.g. standard multiple choice) can be effective but become monotonous and limit the scope of what can be asked. By incorporating customized pictures to your Moodle quiz content, you can generate infinite variety and fun to your questions that the students then interact with. Additionally, by investing your effort up front, you create effective, visually stimulating assessments that are both challenging to the student, and importantly, are self-marking for the instructor. Your creativity flows, and the feedback is nearly instantaneous. Embracing Moodle as a teaching platform can seem like a daunting task for the instructor who is new to the format or is not well versed in basic computer programming. Utilizing simple tools that are already embedded in Windows (sniping tool) and applications in the Microsoft Office suite provided (PowerPoint), one can create the interactive images that will facilitate the options for question creation using the multiple “quiz question types” embedded in Moodle “activities” (drag and drop into text, drag and drop onto image, drag and drop markers, multiple choice, true or false, select missing words, matching, short answer etc.). Then by understanding how to modify the variables of each question type, the user can adjust the options to modify the degree of difficulty and choice variety in answer selection. For my presentation, I would like to take the audience through a step-by-step tutorial that demonstrates the ease in creating unique, picture-rich Moodle quiz questions using a variety of methods I have learned. I will begin with how to select the most applicable “question type” for the information you wish to assess, highlighting advantages and limitations of each type. Then, I will share tips on how to easily capture and transform images (abiding by copyright) into very useful works that can be saved and later imported into each Moodle question type (the process differs depending on the question type). Finally, I will show how to modify the question behavior options to articulate how the question body will interact with the picture that is created, to facilitate choice variety and an increased element of challenge to the answer options. Overall, my goal is to show instructors the fun and reward that is involved in taking quiz question preparation to the next level beforehand, with the added benefit of automatic marking afterwards

The Impact of Sympathetic Nervous System Activity on Longitudinal Movements in the Carotid Artery of Young Healthy People

Arterial stiffness is a historically well-studied and reliable measurement used to assess vascular health and disease. However, recent research has emerged suggesting that arterial longitudinal wall motion is another key predictor in assessing cardiovascular disease and its associated risk factors. Arterial longitudinal wall motion is the oscillatory movement of the arterial wall in the anterograde (with blood flow) and retrograde (against blood flow) directions. Given its newly discovered application, it is imperative to understand the factors which contribute to the motion and their respective implications. One way to assess such factors is through activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), also known as the “fight or flight” reflex. The physiological responses are varied and often involve changes in blood vessel wall dynamics. In this study, we acutely manipulate SNS activity using a cold pressor and a post-exercise circulatory occlusion test and monitor various parameters like blood pressure and artery stiffness, which may influence the longitudinal motion. The goal of this study is to gain further insight into the determinants of arterial longitudinal wall motion and under what conditions its measurement might be compromised. In doing so, its potential use as a clinical tool in predicting vascular disease may be improved

Chill Out on the Way Out: Gratitude matters: How to engage in a practice that improves overall wellness for you and your students

Learn new gratitude practices to benefit you and your students

Effects of Simulated Grazing on Fire-Treated Mine Tailings for Restoration

The alterations caused to the landscape while mining operations extract necessary materials are unavoidable but not completely permanent changes. Through dedication to the communities they border, mining companies have progressed the science of reclamation and are beginning to restore once wild places to more natural looking environments. In the early days of reclamation, aggressive agronomic vegetative species were used to establish vegetation cover to prevent erosion and act as the framework for eventual succession to a more natural pre-disturbed state. In practice on some sites, these agronomic species are becoming monocultures which are utilized by small mammals and ungulates but are not being displaced by planted native grasses to fully reclaim an area to its natural form. The use of prescribed burning to bring disturbance to a landscape and provide space for native grasses has had some positive results but more might be done to help these grasses become established more permanently. Herbicide works to reduce competition for nutrients and water uptake but without removing the dead material the leftover litter layer would still prevent small native grasses from obtaining light. I intend to look at the possibility of using simulated cattle grazing as a means of added disturbance to provide space for seeded native species to grow and eventually lead to early successional change to re-establish a pre-disturbed natural state on a dry tailing storage facility

Mind the Gap: A review of the collaborative program between TRU faculty and SD73 teachers

Though not well-addressed in the student success and persistence literature, there appears to be a significant role for K-12 teachers and post-secondary faculty members to play in easing the transition and supporting student success and persistence from secondary to post-secondary school (Rodriguez, et al. 2017). These partnerships are a critical first step in helping faculty members and teachers develop a deeper understanding of the issues, challenges, and changes in secondary education, while providing a platform for faculty members to describe and clarify the expectations required for students at the post-secondary level (Rodriguez et al., 2017). Partnerships between teachers and faculty members can create linkages to support student completion and help one another to better understand the knowledge, behaviours, and abilities of students at both levels. The role of meaningful support in the transition between high school and post-secondary is vital to the success of students, and foundational in the formation of learner identity (Briggs, Clark & Hall, 2012; Tinto, 1993). During this presentation we will share the outcomes of the Mind the Gap program developed to bridge the gap/border between the university and the school district. This program supported collaborative projects between faculty and teachers. The goals of this program were threefold- to increase student awareness of the university programs, to promote student persistence when enrolled, and to increase knowledge transfer between faculty and teachers in the two education sectors. We will share stories about the nature of the partnerships, our data collection methods, program evaluation metrics, and lessons learned

Chill Out on the Way Out: How to make Delicious Homemade Kombucha: easy and fun step by step instructions

Kombucha is a fermented, lightly effervescent, sweetened black or green tea drink commonly consumed for its supposed health benefits. It can be flavoured with fresh fruit and ginger for a wonderful drink for pennies

Investigating the Antimicrobial Properties of Cannabinoid Compounds

As bacteria are rapidly developing resistance against existing drugs, cannabinoids present a novel and exciting opportunity as a potential new source of antibiotics. Cannabinoid compounds have become an epicenter of research in recent years with numerous studies elucidating the therapeutic uses of a few of the numerous compounds such as Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG). This study seeks to investigate the antimicrobial properties of these two aforementioned compounds on a number of gram-negative and gram-positive microbes such as Candida albicans, Streptococcus pyogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using spread plating methods, various concentrations and mixtures of CBD and CBG were applied to selected microbes in order to observe the effects (if any) on colony formation. Initial results have indicated a strong effect on gram-positive organisms and little to no effect on gram-negative organisms. These early results corroborate published literature reports. Ongoing work includes an investigation into the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) layer found on the gram-negative bacteria. Through enzymatic treatment, LPS layer removal will be facilitated, and testing performed to determine the role this layer plays in the observed decreased antimicrobial activity of these organisms

Lunch: Lunchtime Lemonade Stand

Lunc

Breaking the Cycle: The Implications of a Recovery House and Resource Hub for Women Experiencing Criminalization

This research project was conducted in affiliation with Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and the Kamloops and District Elizabeth Fry Society, as a part of the TRU community development research grant. The goal was to gain more in-depth insight into how recovery houses and resource hubs could help women who have been criminalized. To begin, a literature review was conducted on women experiencing criminalization and their needs and concerns. Through this review, five main themes emerged. These were the overrepresentation of Indigenous women, the fragmentation of their healthcare experiences, the need to renegotiate their relationships, the challenges of community reintegration, and additional barriers such as employment and housing. Consideration is given to two subsets of this population, older women and transgender women. Consideration is also given to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has on women who have been criminalized. Second, a literature review was conducted regarding recovery houses and the benefits and challenges associated with them. Third, a literature review was conducted on the existence of resource hubs. Due to their limited nature, this review was expanded internationally. The information acquired in these three sections was then compiled into a list of recommendations that mirror the five main themes of concern for women experiencing criminalization. The vision of the recovery house and the resource hub is to work collaboratively to address these five areas of a woman’s life, to provide holistic care, and to ensure no woman falls through the gap