Canadian Journal of Undergraduate Research https://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/cjur <p>CJUR is a student-led, peer-reviewed journal founded in 2015 to publish and highlight the work of undergraduate researchers from universities and post-secondary institutions across Canada. We accept a variety of submissions including primary research, literature reviews, commentaries, and honours theses from all disciplines. Our goal is to give students the opportunity to gain experience with the peer-reviewed publication process and provide submissions with comprehensive feedback given by experts in the respective field. Please visit <a href="https://cjur.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://cjur.ca/</a> for more information.</p> en-US Canadian Journal of Undergraduate Research 2563-5689 <p><br /><span style="font-size: 10px;">Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:</span></p><ol><li><span style="font-size: 10px;">Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a </span><a style="font-size: 10px;" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" target="_new">Creative Commons Attribution License</a><span style="font-size: 10px;"> that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10px;">Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10px;">Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See </span><a style="font-size: 10px;" href="http://opcit.eprints.org/oacitation-biblio.html" target="_new">The Effect of Open Access</a><span style="font-size: 10px;">).</span></li></ol> Can melatonin ameliorate smoking-related cadmium-induced decreases in bone mineral density? https://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/cjur/article/view/198749 <p>Cadmium, an environmental toxin and component of cigarettes, is associated with a range of adverse health effects due to increased Reactive Oxygen Species production, including decreased bone mineral density and osteoporosis. Experiments performed in human cancer cells indicate that melatonin may directly protect against cadmium-induced tissue damage via regulation of mitochondrial activity. Further, recent evidence has demonstrated that melatonin can improve bone health for individuals with osteoporosis and partially protect against cadmium-associated inhibition of bone repair. Notably, cadmium is found at concentrations 4-5x higher in the blood of smokers versus non-smokers. Here we review this data and propose supplementation with melatonin as a strategy to protect against the negative impacts of cadmium exposure on bone mineral density within individuals regularly exposed to cadmium via cigarette smoking.</p> Megan Montgomery Marshall Ritchie Iain McKinnell Copyright (c) 2024 2024-04-16 2024-04-16 8 2 7 13 Syrian Refugees’ Experiences in Canada and the Implications on Mental Health https://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/cjur/article/view/197636 <p style="font-weight: 400;">The Syrian refugee population represents an unprecedented number of migrants in Canada.&nbsp; Vulnerable citizens and their families sought safety in Canada. Given the influx of refugees in Canada who were forced to leave their home country due to the civil war, the impact of the life adversities they experience as they transition to a new country cannot go unexamined. Thus, this narrative review responds to an integral research question: What are the implications of barriers that Syrian refugees experience in their integration process? The literature review examines the integration of Syrian refugees in Canada by accounting for their traumatic experiences in Syria and their post-migratory experiences during their transition in Canada. The review considers two core themes: (a) the significance of culturally appropriate healthcare services for Syrian refugees’ acculturation in Canada, and (b) how Islamophobia and discrimination that many refugees experience serve as an obstacle in their integration. The study also discusses findings that shed light on such themes’ implications for Syrian refugees’ mental health.&nbsp;</p> Anthony Lorenzo Cherubini Copyright (c) 2024 2024-04-16 2024-04-16 8 2 14 19 Electrophysiology of Benign Familial Neonatal Seizures and the Current Therapeutic Approach https://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/cjur/article/view/199119 <p>Although neonatal seizures are not quite prevalent, the occurrences are noticed every year. Specifically, despite the low number of reports, it was found that some patients with a history of benign familial neonatal seizures were more likely to get epilepsies in their later life. However, largely due to the high ethical standards imposed on conducting research on neonatal populations, neonatal seizures and their anti-convulsant treatments are not as well-understood as the cause and the epidemiology of seizures found in adults. This is problematic, as prominent pharmacological approach for the neonatal seizures had been based on adjusting doses of conventional anticonvulsants for adults. This approach is not favorable as neonates have distinctive physiological characteristics, compared to those of adults. Thus, simply adjusting the dose of the drugs may have sub- or supra-therapeutic effects, or even lead to lethal effects on the patients. The focus of this paper is to explain the electrophysiological cause of benign familial neonatal seizures and the therapeutical attempts that had been done to treat the syndrome.</p> Eunyoung Park Copyright (c) 2024 2024-04-16 2024-04-16 8 2 20 24 The significance of sex and gender in clinical pharmacokinetics https://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/cjur/article/view/198062 <p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The consequences of the historical exclusion of cisgender women, intersex, and</span></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">transgender people from pharmacological clinical trials have resulted in a dangerously low quality of care for these populations. Analyzing and interpreting significant sex and gender-related differences in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion are critical for adjusting dosing regimens and therapeutic drug monitoring. A deep understanding of the impact of these differences is required for practitioners and clinical researchers. This review summarizes the physiological differences between sexes as they relate to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and renal variations. A direct examination of their possible effects on the pharmacokinetics of drugs critically highlights the current knowledge gap. The importance of including both sexes in all scientific research is emphasized in this review. It serves as a reminder for future scientists to strive toward reducing health care disparities based on sex and gender in their studies, and to incorporate sex and gender-specific analysis whenever possible.</span></span></p> Giselle Mirfallah Copyright (c) 2024 2024-04-16 2024-04-16 8 2 25 30