2. Table of Contents
Articles
3.
Fun Science Facts
4.
The Controversy on Genetically Modified Foods
8.
Dr. William Ogilvie Interview
10.
Back to Your Books, Ladies!
12.
End Female Circumcision
14.
UOHS Symposium
15.
Science: The Ultimate Truth
Illustrations
6.
Winter Illustration Contest
13.
llustration Submissions
Contributors
Editor-in-Chief
Tanya Yeuchyk
Rédactrice en chef
Setti Belhouari
Directrice de la production
Cassidy Swanston
Media Manager
Saania Tariq
Promotions Managers
Narimane Ait Hamou
Catherine Nguyen
Nam Chu
Authors
Winston Cheung
Rebecca Xu
Tanya Yeuchyk
Setti Belhouari
Hadjar Saidi
Amanda Quan
Illustrators
Mihaela Tudorache
Sanmeet Chahal
Katherine Power
Lina Liu
Najeeba Ahmed
Alek Tirpan
Tanya Yeuchyk
Translators
Setti Belhouari
Hoang-Nam Chu
Mihaela Tudorache
Jade Ashely Kaitlin Choo-Fu
Sanmeet Chahal
2
Cover Image Source: Zibi Vintage Scrap
3. One
The scientist who invented microwaves had
accidentally observed his candy bar melt
while testing military magnetrons.
Two
Concentrated hydrofluoric acid will dissolve
glass.
Three
Cats have 32 muscles in their ears.
Four
“J” is the only letter that does not appear in
the periodic table.
Five
Gender in turtles is determined by the tem-
perature of the eggs during development.
Six
The Eiffel Tower can grow up to 15 cm taller
during the summer because of thermal ex-
pansion.
Seven
Venus is the only planet which spins clock-
wise.
Eight
The average cumulous cloud weighs as
much as 80 elephants.
Nine
There are enough blood vessels in the hu-
man body to circle the Earth 2.5 times.
Ten
Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.
Eleven
Platypuses have a very poisonous spur on
their back foot which can kill a medium-sized
dog.
Twelve
The body contains enough iron to make an
8cm nail.
Thirteen
There are more species of beetles than any
other organism.
Fourteen
The human body contains more bacterial
cells than human cells.
Fifteen
When you sneeze, air blows out of your nose
at 100 miles/hour.
Photos by
Alek Tirpan, 3rd year BIM
Fun Science Facts
3
4. The Controversy on Genetically Modified Foods
Honourable mention in our 2017 Winter Writing Contest
Winston Cheung, 5th year BIM
Advances in genetic engineering over the last few decades have facilitated the incorporation of new genes
into different species, producing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Today, over 90% of soy, cotton,
and corn planted in the US is genetically modified. Despite being widely used, a 2015 poll by the Pew Re-
search Centre showed that only 37% of the general population thinks that genetically modified foods are safe
to eat. Useful technology or dangerous Frankenfood? The risks and benefits of GMOs deserve a closer look.
The Pros of GMOs
GMOs can provide environmental and eco-
nomic benefits while being safe to consume.
Two meta-analyses, reviewing over a hundred
studies each on GMOs, showed that GMOs sig-
nificantly increase crop yield and reduce pesticide
use . Currently, over 90% of sprayed pesticides
affect the air, water, and soil, which can affect
non-target species in those environments. Reduc-
ing pesticide use can reduce the toll it has on the
environment. This combination of reduced pesti-
cide use and higher yield results in increased farm-
er profits despite the higher seed cost of GMOs.
GMOs are generally recognized as safe to con-
sume by the scientific community. This stance
is supported by reputable organizations such as
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations and by rigorous scientific re-
views. To date, no human adverse effects have
been proven to come from consuming GMOs.
The Cons of GMOs
GMOs can pose environmental risks as they increase
the number of herbicide resistant weeds (also known
as superweeds) and can spread unintentionally.
In fact, GMOs are resistant to the herbicide, gly-
phosate. Since they were introduced in the 1990s,
at least 23 species of glyphosate-resistant weeds
have been found in 18 countries. As a result,
higher doses of glyphosate have been required
to manage those glyphosate-resistant weeds, in-
creasing the environmental effects of herbicides.
In the US state of North Dakota, it has been report-
ed that 80% of wild canola plants are transgenic. In
addition, canola phenotypes not produced by seed
companies have been observed in the wild. This indi-
cates that GMOs can grow in unintended places, and
that traits engineered into GMOs – such as pesticide
resistance – could spread to their wild counterparts.
4
5. The Verdict
In conclusion, you can keep on eating genetically modified foods. Thousands of studies have been done
on different aspects of GMOs, with heterogeneous and sometimes contradictory results, but the vast ma-
jority show that GMOs benefit both farmers and the environment, while being safe for consumption.
Environmental costs such as herbicide resistance are a concern, but herbicide-resistant weeds ac-
tually began appearing in the late 1970s, even before the introduction of GMOs. Properly mixing
GMOs into an integrated weed management system could reduce the severity of glyphosate-resis-
tant weeds. The other environmental cost of unintentional spreading of GMOs in the wild could be
solved with the use of genetic restriction technology to generate GMOs that produce sterile seeds.
As with any technology, GMOs have their risks and benefits. For all the good that they bring for
us and the environment, however, GMOs seem to get an unfair reputation with the general public.
Photo: Mihaela Tudorache
Thank you to our readers for another wonderful
year! Don’t forget to submit your work by 11:59 PM
on July 31st, 2017 for publishing in our September
issue.We look forward to seeingyoursubmissions
for the 2017-2018 school year!
8. Q: What is the path that led you to where you are
today?
A: I did my undergraduate degree at Laurentian
University in Sudbury, and I got into organic chem-
istry by accident. I won a contest in high school and
ended up with a summer job in a lab that did syn-
thetic organic chemistry. I kind of got interested in
it at that point and worked a couple more times in
the same lab during the summers. Then, I did a PhD
here with Tony Durst, in the same kind of research.
From there, I did a post-doc in synthetic organic
chemistry. I started in the University of Pennsylva-
nia, and then I went to the Scripps Research Insti-
tute in San Diego. Three weeks after I arrived in the
lab, my supervisor announced he was leaving and we
went to San Diego. It was kind of cool. The move
disrupted a lot of research, and we shut down for al-
most three months. I got to enjoy a bit of a vacation
in San Diego.
After that, I kind of fell into academia. Originally I
applied like everyone else for a prof job, but at that
time, right at the end of the 1980s, there wasn’t any-
thing available in Canada. I got two interviews, and
I got an offer at one but my wife decided she didn’t
want to go there. I decided to look for an industrial
job, and I ended up in a place called Bio-Mega in
Montreal, and that place was bought by Boehring-
er Ingelheim just before I arrived. So when I arrived
I was working at a giant pharmaceutical research
company. I stayed there eleven years, doing research
for antiviral drugs. The research there works at warp
speed. After being there for a number of years, I de-
cided that I wanted to work on something different.
I made some phone calls, and happened to call the
right guy at the right time who told me about an
opening here. So I applied and ended up becoming
a prof fifteen years ago. That’s how I ended up here.
Q: When did you first realize that you wanted to
become a professor?
A: In graduate school, I think. Professors tend to
steer their students towards academia, it’s got this
view of being the ultimate place to go. When I was
in grad school, it seemed like the normal thing you
did. To be honest, I had no clue what the job was
about. Then when I went into industry, I always
wondered if I could do this. When the opportunity
came, I figured, let’s try it and see what happens. It’s
very different from industry.
Q: What was it like to develop the Drugs 101
(BPS1101) course?
A: It’s brand new to the university. It’s something
that I always wanted to do, since I was a grad stu-
dent, and there was another student there from Mc-
Gill. She talked about this food course she had taken
and how it was so interesting and applicable. When I
got here, I always had it in the back of my mind that
it would be fun to create something like that. That’s
where Drugs 101 came from. In fact, the people at
McGill helped put it together and get it started. It
was a lot of work, and this was something that was
done from scratch. I spent a lot of time at the library
reading on it, digging up the information. Putting to-
gether one lecture the way I do it takes a couple of
weeks. I’ve learned a lot myself in doing that. Before
I started to research this, I would go to the drug store,
buy a box of stuff, and sometimes it would work and
sometimes it wouldn’t. After doing the course, now
I know why brand X worked for me sometimes and
not for others. It’s nice to get comments back from
students. It’s been a fun course to do.
Dr. William Ogilvie
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Interview by Tanya Yeuchyk, 2nd year BIM
8
9. Q: What inspires you outside of your field?
A: Over the years, I’ve done different things. I like
woodworking and I’ve built a lot of my own furni-
ture at home. I’ve also become a boater. I’ve always
wanted to own a boat and now I have one, which is
kind of like a floating trailer. I spend my summers
travelling around and living on it in the summer-
time. I’ve gone as far as Lake Champlain and Lake
Simcoe all by water. Someday I want to go to the
Bahamas from here. I used to play hockey, but I’ve
had some injuries that have had me cut back on
that. I’ve played in the employee’s hockey league
here for a number of years.
Q: Is there a book or movie that you would rec-
ommend to science students?
A: I had a student suggest to me Richard Feynman’s
autobiography, which I reread. As a scientist, that’s
a cool book to read. He’s got a neat way of looking
at the real world, which I’ve always kind of appreci-
ated. I’ve always been a sci-fi nut, so I would recom-
mend Star Trek or Star Wars.
Q: What advice would you give to a science stu-
dent?
A: Find what you like and go after it. Have confi-
dence in yourself to try stuff. For a lot of students,
I see that sometimes they’re not sure if they can do
something, a lack of confidence. Try it. You never
know until you try what you can accomplish. Go
outside your comfort zone once in a while. Science
opens up a lot of possibilities to go to different parts
of the world, see things, and learn how to world
works. Go for it if you have the chance.
9
Dr. William Ogilvie
10. I seize the opportunity on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day, to address solely my dear female
readers.
You make up 59% of the undergraduate and 55% of the graduate student body at the University of Ottawa
(Quick Facts 2016, University of Ottawa). On average, you know a larger academic success in all scholarly
domains than your masculine homologues (Voyer, Susan, 2014).
In fact, during an intelligence test performed on all 11-year-old Scottish children, girls have obtained an av-
erage score of 100.6, while boys have obtained 100.5 (Deary et coll., 2003). Contrary to popular belief, girls
obtain approximately the same scores on arithmetic and general mathematics intelligence tests (Else-Quest
et coll., 2010; Hyde et Mertz, 2009; Lindberg et coll., 2010). Variations In scores in intelligence tests between
men and women are attributable to sociocultural factors. For instance, in societies where gender equality
reigns, such as Sweden and Iceland, there is little variation in the mathematical performance of men and
women (Guiso et coll., 2008).
So, what are you waiting for? You are not any less intelligent than your masculine homologue. Get involved
and maximize your learning.
(If you are a male reading this article, do not forget to encourage the women you know to achieve the sum-
mit of learning.)
Back to Your Books, Ladies!
Editorial
Setti Belhouari, 2nd Year BCH and MAT
Image Source: LadyClever
10
12. The UN estimates that from now to 2030,
15 million young girls will undergo a
form of female genital mutilation (FGM).
FGM includes all procedures involving the partial
or total removal of the external female reproductive
organs. It can also be defined as all lesions to the
female genitalia for non-therapeutic purposes. Glob-
al organizations such as the WHO (World Health
Organization), UNICEF and UNFPA (United Na-
tions Population Fund) have divided these genital
mutilations into four categories: clitoridectomy,
excision, infibulation and all other forms of FGM.
In this article, we will focus on excision, which re-
fers to any procedure involving the partial or total
removal of the clitoris and inner labia with or with-
out the removal of the outer labia. FGM is practiced
in approximately 30 different countries mainly in
Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and some parts
of the Middle East. Excision is considered a tradi-
tional practice and is not strictly
linked to any particular religion.
However, there are several so-
ciocultural factors that have al-
lowed it to spread throughout
the generations which makes
attempts at eradication all the
more difficult. In the affected
regions, female genital mutila-
tion is considered a necessary
component of female sexual ed-
ucation and in the preparation
of young girls for adulthood and marriage. FGM
can sometimes be seen as a method of ensuring
virginity until marriage because it reduces libido
and also ensures “good” sexual behaviour by pre-
venting extra-marital affairs. Some ethnic groups
also believe that girls undergoing circumcision
have a greater chance of marrying and have high-
er fertility. This well entrenched social belief system
have increased the incidents female circumcision.
From a medical perspective, there is unequivocally
no health benefit to the young girls undergoing any
FGM procedure. In contrast, it is rather associated
with serious physical and psychological consequenc-
es. For example, several parts of the female genitalia
such as the vulva, labia and clitoris, which may all
be removed in certain types of FGM, are highly in-
nervated tissues and extreme pain is caused during
these procedures which are often performed without
anaesthetic. Since excision is often performed by
non-medical personnel, the bleeding or even hem-
orrhaging is often fatal. The young girls undergoing
the procedure will often find themselves the victims
of urinary, vulvar or gynaecological infections due
to the poor hygiene of the conditions present in the
operation. Moreover, the same instrument is often
used to excise multiple girls at the same time, making
them more likely to be exposed to HIV and increas-
ing their chances to transmit it. Excision is also the
cause of several other urinary, menstrual and obstet-
ric problems. In cases where FGM is performed on
newborns, a WHO study shows
that the incidence of perina-
tal death is significantly higher.
Furthermore, apart from the se-
vere medical repercussions, the
oft-forgotten psychological trau-
ma from such an operation has
an enduring and highly detrimen-
tal effect on the victim’s mental
health. The trauma is induced by
not only the pain from the muti-
lation but from the state of shock
due to the excessive bleeding and especially the ex-
perience of being physically restrained while the op-
eration is done. After the procedure, young girls are
horrified by the prospect of a sexual relationship or
pregnancy. They loose confidence in themselves and
are stripped of their dignity and pride as women.
12
Stop Female Circumcision!Hadjar Saidi, 2nd year HSS
“Furthermore, apart from
the severe medical reper-
cussions, the oft-forgot-
ten psychological trauma
from such an operation
has an enduring and high-
ly detrimental effect on
the victim’s mental health.”
13. WHO considers female genital mutilation a vio-
lation to women’s rights. In consideration of the
presented evidence, different organizations ranging
from the international level such as WHO and the
UN to local feminist associations have put into place
several programs to eradicate this devastating prac-
tice. However, the problem is rather menacing and
it can be difficult to convince certain communities
of the medical dangers associated with FGM given
how deeply entrenched the traditional practice has
become. Community education and awareness re-
mains the most efficient method in combatting the
sociocultural roadblocks preventing the eradication
of this procedure. Charitable organizations, such as
Plan Canada, are leading this effort by launching a
campaign in Mali against FGM called BIAAG (Be-
cause I am a girl) which is focused on discussing and
educating religious and influential community lead-
ers to convince them of the dangers of this practice.
These efforts have been instrumental in leading to
a revolution in initiating a national awareness pro-
gram in Mali and have resulted in a significant de-
crease in the incidence of the practice ever since.
In summary, excision is a traditional practice with
no link to any religion, contrary to commonly held
belief. It is highly dangerous to both the physical
and mental health of young girls. Several initiatives
from the national and international levels have been
developed to put a definitive end to this harmful
procedure. It is important to remain informed and
support campaigns against FGM. This includes, for
example, the International Day of Zero Tolerance
for Female Genital Mutilation on February 6th.
13
Image Source: Demain Sans Douleur
14. The University of Ottawa Healthcare Symposium
hosted their 7th annual conference on January 21st,
2017 and this year’s conference pulled out all the
stops to attract top-notch speakers and a record num-
ber of students from outside of the Ottawa region.
Students from across Ontario enjoyed a full-day con-
ference addressing trends, challenges, and changes
that healthcare professionals will face in the next de-
cade of Canadian healthcare.
Conference attendee Andrea Monsour, who is com-
pleting a Master’s in Public Health at the University
of Toronto, said: “As students aiming to enter the
healthcare industry, in a range of capacities – not just
doctors and nurses – it is important for us to think
about how leadership in management and patient
demographics will change the face of healthcare as
we know it. The speakers I heard from today were
very qualified to provide us with that kind of insight
and foresight. UOHS has outdone themselves on all
aspects of this year’s conference!”
Lecture topics included: “The future of Antibiotic
Resistance: Are we really facing an antibiotic apoca-
lypse?” by Dr. Albert Berghuis from McGill Universi-
ty; “Leadership in Medicine: Lessons I’ve Learned”
by Dr.Chris Simpson, former President of the CMA;
and “Thinking the Unthinkable: Illness, Uncertain-
ty, and the Future of Medicine” by Dr.Philip Hebert,
author of the ethics book Doing Right.
Spread out over several floors in the Faculty of So-
cial Science (FSS) building, delegates had the oppor-
tunity to hear from local and corporate sponsors, sit
in on an elevator pitch competition, and snap some
memories at a UOHS photo booth. In addition to
breakfast and lunch, delegates this year were treated
to a warm dinner catered by Nandos; this was fol-
lowed by a lively auction whose proceeds were do-
nated to CHEO.
For students interested in joining this dynamic team,
applications for the UOHS 2017-2018 executive
team will be released in August 2017. Stay up to date
on all UOHS related news by liking their Facebook
page or viewing their website, http://www.uohs-
csuo.com/.
14
By Students, For Students:
Ottawa’s largest undergraduate healthcare conference looks to the future
Amanda Quan, 3rd year BIM, minor in Eco
15. The goal of science is deceptively simple: to seek the
truth. However, such a daunting task seeks structure
inthescientificmethod,arguablythemostcriticaland
defining hallmark of science. The scientific method,
consisting of systematic observation, measurement,
and experiment, as well as formulation, testing and
modification of hypotheses, has allowed for continu-
al survival and progress of science within academia.
Nevertheless, in the Economist article, “How Sci-
ence Goes Wrong”, it is brought to light that many
of the current scientific findings are false. It is re-
ported that researchers at the biotechnology firm,
Amgen, “could reproduce just six of 53 ‘landmark’
studies in cancer research” and that a group at the
pharmaceutical company Bayer “managed to repeat
just a quarter of 67 similarly important papers.” The-
oretically, the scientific method is an excellent mod-
el for continually expanding the
frontiers of human knowledge;
however, scientists are also prone
to errors, subject to normative
values, and prey to the socio-eco-
nomic pressures of modern so-
ciety. As noted by Grieneisen
and Zhang in 2012, “The num-
ber of retracted scholarly articles
has risen precipitously in recent
years.” In their study, they found 4,449 schol-
arly publications retracted from 1928–2011.
Yet, these numbers prove to be significantly small-
er than what others would suggest. In 2005, a
study conducted by Martinson et. al. showed that
33% of 3,427 researchers admitted to engaging in
one of the top ten scientific malpractices during
their three previous years of work. Some of these
malpractices included falsifying data and chang-
ing the design, methodology, or results due to the
pressure of a funding body and failing to pres-
ent data that contradicts one’s previous research.
These statistics would suggest that modern science is
going wrong. Modern research techniques have led
to the introduction of new biases such as the Pro-
teus phenomenon, which is the tendency for future
results to contradict original data. Socioeconomic
pressures such as careerism have also become more
relevant with modern society, contributing to the
file drawer problem – bias introduced by selective
publication. These factors have culminated in the
creation of a biased atmosphere which has seemed
to skew the scientific pursuit of the ultimate truth.
However, the reality of the situation does not mean
that the path which science seems to be following is
unsalvageable. Improvements can
be made; science does not have to
follow this downward trajectory.
Arguably, the most daunting task is
not implementing policy but over-
turning the bias of science to secure
the pursuit of truth as the ultimate
goal rather than the furthering of
one’s reputational credibility. Our
infatuation with novelty and the
need to publish ground-breaking research must be
mitigated to allow for the due process of replication
and refutability that is central to the scientific meth-
od. Ultimately, subjectivity and personal connec-
tions to scientific data must be objectively controlled
in order for science to regain its footing in the pursuit
of the ultimate truth. Thus, modern science must ex-
perience significant change to reach its own ideal.
Science: The Ultimate Truth
Honourable mention in our 2017 Winter Writing Contest
Rebecca Xu, 5th Year BIM
“These factors have cul-
minated in the creation
of a biased atmosphere
which has seemed to
skew the scientific pur-
suit of the ultimate truth.”
15
16. Practice with a Purpose
5 Minute Pop Quiz
20 minute workout
Full Length Practice Test
If you are planning on taking the MCAT follow the
link below to find FREE practice! As an added bonus
Kaplan will be donating Scholarships to the Boys
and Girls Club!
Go to: ktp.events/UniversityofOttawa
