Featuring Torah Kachur

Dr. Torah Kachur is a passionate science communicator, as a science columnist for CBC Radio and co-creator of scienceinseconds.com, and a lecturer at the University of Alberta and MacEwan University. In this interview, Dr. Kachur told Eureka about her background in science and beyond, motivations as a scientist, and her perspective on the role of communication in science.

Replication: Self-Compassion and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviours in Albertan University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Self-compassion as a predictor for health-promoting behaviours has been the subject of several research studies. Self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness have been repeatedly positively correlated with health-promoting behaviours in individuals, such as eating well and doing physical activity (Gedik, 2019; Holden et al., 2020). We hypothesized that the positive components of self-compassion (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) would positively correlate with health-promoting behaviours. In an attempt to replicate Gedik’s (2019) study, researchers recruited 294 Albertan post-secondary students to respond to an online-based questionnaire. Participants filled out both the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) (Neff, 2003b) and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (Walker et al., 1995). Findings revealed that, unlike Gedik (2019), isolating behaviours such as feeling cut-off from the world are indicative of improved stress management. Therefore, Gedik’s (2019) results were not replicated. This research’s implications are essential when considering the factorial breakdown of self-compassion and how the factorial relationships to health behaviours are affected by varying populations and contexts. Specifically, the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting restrictions must be considered when interpreting the results presented in this current study.

Bacterial signal peptides: structure, optimization, and applications

Bacterial signal peptides are N-terminal tags that direct proteins for export through one of various transport pathways. These signal peptides are highly important as they are the key determinants of transport, ensuring that the correct protein ends up at the correct pathway. While these peptides consist of three domains with well conserved biochemical properties, there still remains a large amount of diversity between the signal sequences for different proteins, transport pathways, and bacterial species. Recent advancements have allowed us to predict signal sequences and manipulate them in an attempt to optimize export efficiency. This knowledge can then be exploited in the field of recombinant protein production wherein bacterial species can be used to produce and secrete proteins of interest. By fusing the protein with an optimized signal peptide, the yield or rate of export can be improved. This review focuses on signal peptides for two primary transport pathways (Sec and Tat) in E. coli specifically, with an emphasis on applications and the production of recombinant proteins.

Neuroregenerative Effects of Intraspinal Microstimulation (ISMS) Following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

Background Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) is a novel electrical stimulation technique that has demonstrated mobility restoration in animals with spinal cord injury (SCI). This project investigated: 1) the capacity of ISMS to restore functional walking in rats with SCI through 4 weeks of stimulation, and 2) the degree of walking deficit caused by ISMS surgery. Methods Thirteen Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: 1) rats with hemi-section SCI (hSCI) and no implants (control group), 2) rats with hSCI and passive ISMS implants (ISMS sham group), and 3) rats with hSCI and implants with active electrical stimulation (ISMS group). All groups were trained to walk on a horizontal ladder and their performance was quantified pre- and post-surgery. Results We hypothesized that the rats with active ISMS implants would demonstrate the greatest improvement in functional walking compared to both control groups, and that the ISMS sham group would underperform the most. The preoperative functional walking scores of control, sham and ISMS rats were 5.7±0.2, 5.5±0.3 and 5.7±0.1, respectively (7-point scale; mean ± standard error). The post-surgery scores were 3.2±0.9, 2.6±0.6 and 3.3±0.8 for control, sham, and ISMS rats, respectively. Conclusions As the difference between the post-surgery functional walking scores of ISMS and control rats was not statistically significant, this may indicate that four weeks of ISMS stimulation is not enough to cause rehabilitative effects. Additionally, the ISMS sham group demonstrated impaired functional walking compared to the hSCI control group as predicted. Future studies will employ a larger sample size to fully elucidate this trend and utilize thinner microwires to mitigate cellular damage.

Featuring Michael Houghton

Dr. Michael Houghton was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine this fall. Eureka asked Dr. Houghton about his career, advice to his undergraduate self, and publication experiences.

Tale of Two Frames

Background. Physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of a variety of diseases. However, recent studies indicate that only 15% of Canadian adults engage in adequate levels of physical activity. As such, an area of interest for physical activity promotion has been the use of persuasive messages, specifically, the use of framing effects as a method of persuasive communication. This study uses the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to investigate the effects of framed health messages on autonomous motivation. Methods. 107 York University undergraduate students (N=107; 51 females, 56 males) ages 18 – 30 were recruited from the school of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three message groups: gain-framed, loss-framed and control. They were given and instructed to read the messages. Afterwards, the participants’ autonomous motivation levels were measured. Results. 68.2% of the participants were considered physically active. No significant difference in autonomous regulation levels were observed between the three frame groups. However, a significant interaction was shown between participants’ gender and frame condition; among the female participants, levels of autonomous regulation were significantly higher in the loss frame group, when compared to the control group. Conclusion. Based on the results of this study, women who were exposed to loss-framed messages tended to demonstrate higher levels of autonomy. Similar framing effects were not evident in males.

Question of Participation

Background. Recent studies indicate that physical activity levels among Ontario university students are about 35% to 42%. Furthermore, there is a sparsity of evidence on effective interventions to support increased physical activity among university students. The current study uses the Comprehensive School Health (CSH) framework for the analysis of current physical activity interventions at York University and provides four observations of an effective program. Methods. 249 York University undergraduate students (n = 153 women, n = 96 men) ages 18 – 42 (M = 19.92 years, SD = 2.99 for men; M = 19.96 years, SD = 2.61 for women) were recruited from the school of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Participants were measured for their physical activity status and physical activity factors pertaining to the CSH framework via an online survey. Results. 67.9% of the participants were considered physically active, and 80.3% declared they would not “travel to the university only to engage in physical activity”. Additionally, 74.7% of the participants reported that they believed that they had enough information regarding physical activity, with 44.2% having been exposed to signs and posters about physical activity on campus. 49.4% of participants reported engaging in the school’s mandatory practicums (PKINs) with a resulting 125 minutes of average weekly physical activity. 16.9% of participants reported having received physical activity counseling and 83.1% did not. Conclusions. Based on the results of this study, an effective intervention to support increased physical activity among university students, in the case of York University, was one that fit well with the students’ academic schedule, did not rely on signs or posters for physical activity promotion, integrated itself into the curriculum, and would benefit from incorporating partnerships with healthcare professionals.