/oss/taxonomy/term/5134/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-student-contributors-health-and-nutrition/instant-coffee-and-acrylamide-should-you-be-worried <p>Coffee is a staple beverage for millions of people worldwide, consumed in endless scenarios: catching up with a friend, powering through an intense study session, or simply kickstarting the day.</p> <p>From the classic drip coffee and trendy cold brew to the precision of the French press and the intensity of espresso, there are countless ways to make the perfect cup of joe. The key difference between each brewing method is how the water interacts with the coffee grounds and the time it takes to brew.</p> Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:24:27 +0000 Hosna Akhgary 10126 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-student-contributors/well-established-balancing-act <p>Some things can be classified with high acidity, like lemon juice, or low acidity, like bicarbonate. Acidity is often measured on a pH scale. This is because Danish chemist <a href="https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/soren-sorensen/">Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen</a> invented the concept of pH as a convenient method for expressing acidity. Acidic things have a low pH whereas alkaline things have a high pH.</p> Thu, 17 Oct 2024 22:09:08 +0000 Daniela Padres 10119 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-did-you-know/hardest-working-caffeine-addicts-bees <p>Wake up, go to work, seek out caffeinated beverages, get food, share food with others, store leftovers for later, and repeat. This routine sure does sound familiar, doesn’t it? With over 3.5 billion employed people worldwide following a variation of that basic routine, I wouldn’t blame you if you thought I was talking about humans. But what if I told you I was actually illustrating the day in the life of a bee? As it turns out, humans and bees have very similar lifestyles. They protect their own, work together during the day and seek the refuge of their hive at night.</p> Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:30:52 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10110 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors/migraine-more-just-bad-headache <p>A migraine is often misunderstood as just “a bad headache,” but this assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Migraines are a complex neurological disorder, far more debilitating than a typical headache, with a significant impact on patients' quality of life. For some, the pain is relentless and pounding, and it comes with a slew of other symptoms that make day-to-day functioning a challenge. Moreover, the struggle of enduring migraines is often worsened by the feeling of having an invisible disorder and of being doubted.</p> Fri, 04 Oct 2024 16:18:09 +0000 Hosna Akhgary 10101 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors-general-science/why-do-some-people-breathe-bag-when-hyperventilating <p>“Just breathe!” is probably the worst thing that you can tell someone who is hyperventilating. The fact is, they can’t! Whatever the cause of the hyperventilation, screaming and telling someone to just “calm down” may actually worsen the situation. Don’t fret, there is still a way you can help, and it is actually quite simple. Offer them a paper bag to breathe into. We have all seen it done in movies or tv shows but this seemingly trivial solution is quite effective, but why?</p> Fri, 27 Sep 2024 03:59:40 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10095 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-student-contributors-health-and-nutrition/real-gold-or-fools-gold-controversies-bee-pollen <p>The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10045447/">earliest evidence</a> of human consumption of bee products can be traced back to a painting from between 8000-5000 B.C. in Spain. The Greeks considered pollen to be the food of kings. There is a reference to bee pollen in the Bible. Ancient philosophers such as Hippocrates, Pliny the Elder, and Pythagoras believed in the therapeutic potential of bee pollen. So, it seems only natural that we, in the present day, would take a fascination with bee pollen.</p> Thu, 19 Sep 2024 15:03:05 +0000 Daniela Padres 10083 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-environment/botanical-sexism-really-blame-increased-pollen-allergies-urban-cities <p>The story starts with horticultural epidemiologist Thomas Ogren. His <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/guest-blog/botanical-sexism-cultivates-home-grown-allergies/">major citation is that of the 1949</a> USDA Yearbook of Agriculture where it was recommended that “when used for street plantings, only male trees should be selected, to avoid the nuisance from the seed”. He claims this led to a major skew toward planting male trees in urban cities in the following years in attempts to reduce the work needed to pick up the petals, berries, and fruits produced by female trees.</p> Thu, 12 Sep 2024 18:25:36 +0000 Daniela Padres 10077 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors/serotonin-syndrome-too-much-good-thing <p>Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, including mood regulation, behavior, memory, and gastrointestinal balance. Often dubbed the “happy” neurotransmitter, serotonin helps maintain a balanced emotional state—though it's not always as uplifting as the nickname suggests.</p> Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:57:10 +0000 Hosna Akhgary 10059 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-did-you-know/white-noise-machines-may-have-underlying-fineprint <p><a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/noise-and-sleep/white-noise#references-83455">White noise</a>, also known as broadband noise, is a type of noise that contains all the audible frequencies for humans. White noise is often present in our daily environment in the form of radio or television static, vacuums, fans, and air conditioner hums. When played in the background, white noise can reduce the sound difference between the environmental noise and background noise.</p> Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:14:16 +0000 Daniela Padres 10051 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-history-did-you-know/weaving-history-persian-carpets <p>Although I could get straight to the point and tell you about Persian carpets, it’s only fitting to begin with a bit of history about the Persian Empire. Cyrus the Great, who reigned from approximately 559 to 530 BCE, founded the first Persian Empire. His legacy includes the Cyrus Cylinder, often regarded as the first declaration of human rights, in which he decreed religious freedom and protection for all within his empire.</p> Fri, 23 Aug 2024 14:17:14 +0000 Hosna Akhgary 10045 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-did-you-know/how-deep-can-humans-really-go <p>Up until the late 1960s, physiologists believed that the maximum depth a person could descend to was determined by the depth at which <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.162.3857.1020?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">their total lung capacity (TLC) was compressed to the same volume as their residual volume (RV)</a> which is the smallest lung volume a person can breathe to.</p> Fri, 16 Aug 2024 03:34:15 +0000 Daniela Padres 10039 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-environment-did-you-know/mystery-milky-seas <p>Imagine sailing through a pitch-black ocean night, only to find the waters around you glowing eerily like a vast field of snow. This enchanting phenomenon, known as milky seas or mareel, has both baffled and mesmerized sailors for centuries. These rare events, occurring roughly zero to two times a year globally, are a spectacular display of bioluminescence that turns the sea into a surreal, glowing expanse.</p> Fri, 09 Aug 2024 14:31:17 +0000 Hosna Akhgary 10022 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/are-your-refrigerator-habits-inviting-unwanted-bacteria <p>As a kid I grew up being told that I had to let food cool down before putting it in the fridge. I was under the notion that placing warm food directly in the refrigerator could cause the other foods in the refrigerator to warm up. I had also been told that placing warm food in the refrigerator was a waste of energy as the fridge would have to work harder to maintain a cool temperature. I was shocked when I learned that leaving leftovers to cool on the countertop posed a potential risk for my health.</p> Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:39:35 +0000 Daniela Padres 10014 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors/cloudy-chance-sunburn <p>Imagine stepping outside on a cloudy day, feeling confident that your skin is safe from the sun's rays simply because the sun is hidden behind a layer of clouds. This common belief can be misleading and potentially harmful. The truth is, even on those overcast days, up to 80% of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can still reach your skin, so sunscreen is your skin's best friend, rain or shine.</p> Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:28:16 +0000 Hosna Akhgary 10011 at /oss /oss/article/medical-student-contributors-did-you-know/seawater-really-antidote-cuts-and-scrapes <p>Recently, a carpet burn removed the epidermis, the top layer of my skin, of my upper middle finger. It left a large open wound on my hand. Fortunately, I was close to the ocean so I could swim in the seawater to speed up the healing process, or so I thought.</p> Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:29:17 +0000 Daniela Padres 10005 at /oss