Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Interview With Dr. Knouse, Paxton Mills

Osmosis Magazine

Dr. Laura Knouse, Professor of Psychology and Faculty Director of the Richmond Scholars Program, came to the University of Richmond from Carlisle, Pennsylvania as an undergraduate student. At UR, she obtained a B.S. in psychology and went on to receive her PhD in clinical psychology at UNC Greensboro. Her studies then took her to Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School for a clinical internship and her post-doc. After continuing her education up and down the east coast, Dr. Knouse gravitated back towards Richmond, where she now lives and works at the very university she attended.

Fostering Belief And Belonging: Catalysts For Success In Stem, Andrew Watts

Osmosis Magazine

As an aspiring scientist, have you ever found yourself consumed by the suffocating pressure to be perfect? Does the weight of failure loom ominously over your endeavors, threatening to derail your aspirations? And in the quiet moments of introspection, do whispers of self-doubt emerge, casting shadows of uncertainty over your path forward in STEM? I know I certainly have.

An Investigation Of Idaho Phragmites, Paxton Mills

Osmosis Magazine

In fall 2022, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture reached out to the lab of Dr. Carrie Wu, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Richmond, for assistance in determining the genetic lineage of a suspected invasive stand of Phragmites australis, a wetland reed which has proved to be particularly troublesome throughout its introduced range. Like most invasive species, Phragmites wreaks havoc by outcompeting native plants, which disrupts normal ecosystem operations.

Unpacking The Unreliability Of Our Memory, Isabel Dilandro

Osmosis Magazine

Our memories are precious to us. They are a representation of individuality, unable to be separated from us. The only ones who can access them are ourselves, making them private, intimate, and personal. But what happens to our lives, or rather our understanding of our lives, when these memories are not as reliable as they seem? False memories are real, and we are much more susceptible to them than we may at first think possible.

Meet The Pollock Lab: Understanding Breast Cancer And Disease Development, Jeff Tsai

Osmosis Magazine

In October 2023, I was eagerly looking for my lab home, as most Gottwald students would refer to the process. I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Julie Pollock about her significant research in breast cancer. A great part of the reason why I enjoy learning about proteins and their functions is because of my mother’s history of battling stage II breast cancer. During my time taking care of her and eventually taking a class at the University of Richmond studying gene regulation and protein functions, I gained a greater appreciation for the work that biochemists do in breaking …

Ozempic: A Potential Game- Changer For Type 2 Diabetes Or A Misused Celebrity Weight Loss Trend?, Bezawit Mulatu

Osmosis Magazine

Ozempic, a medication initially designed to combat Type 2 diabetes, has garnered widespread interest due to its unexpected association with celebrity weight loss trends. This article delves into the multifaceted narrative of Ozempic, exploring its pivotal role in diabetes management, its unanticipated link to weight loss, and the controversies that have ensued.

Zero & Infinity Two Divergent Concepts Converging Into Nothing, Aiden Hills

Osmosis Magazine

The concepts of zero and infinity have perplexed mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists since the very beginning of civilization. These abstract ideas challenged existing paradigms in arithmetic and geometry, paving the way for groundbreaking advances in fields ranging from quantum mechanics to cosmology. Let us examine the resistance and eventual acceptance of zero and infinity, highlighting their indispensable roles in modern science and technology.

Human Health Through Long-Distance Space Travel, Alex Robertson

Osmosis Magazine

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the USA and Soviet Union spearheaded humanity’s push into space, driven partly by curiosity and mostly by political ego. The Space Race saw humanity’s first space-bound launches take place, sending out satellites equipped with payloads containing everything from scientific instruments to monkeys and dogs.

Letter To The Editor, Andrew Watts

Osmosis Magazine

Dear Reader,

Thank you for opening Osmosis Magazine. We are excited to bring you more accessible, intriguing stories in science and technology spanning the disciplines of chemistry, environmental science, psychology, and mathematics. In addition to this edition’s science articles, we are excited to introduce faculty interviews, which chronicle select faculty members’ journeys into science and some of their passions outside of it. Our goal as a magazine is to share the joy of science with the UR community in an accessible and entertaining fashion. We hope that you enjoy reading this Fall edition of Osmosis Magazine.

Happy reading, Andrew Watts …

Osmosis Magazine - Spring 2024

Osmosis Magazine

Osmosis is a student read, led, and written publication from the University of Richmond, focusing on all aspects of healthcare and science.

“Faculty Interview: Dr. Leo”, Paxton Mills

Osmosis Magazine

Originally from Yorktown, Virginia, Dr. Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, came to the University of Richmond with a mission: to show the world that undergraduates are capable of doing R1 research. He was drawn to the University for its vision of “combining scholarship with excellent teaching” and the Chemistry Department’s mentorship of undergraduates in non-traditional classrooms (i.e., research laboratories).

Pixels Of Our Universe, Kritim K. Rijal

Osmosis Magazine

The notion of humans living in a simulation gets tossed

around quite often in general conversations. From sci-fi movies to advanced video games, we experience the gist of a simulated world in various forms. From there questioning the “reality” of our own worldly experience is but a mere step away. The perpetual advancement in the field of AI, which has continued to predict, imitate, and almost create experiences that seem previously intrinsic to humans alone, has not helped the case for conspiracy theorists. However, all of this is observational. Its basis is on human intuition alone.

“The Algebraic Background Of Error-Correcting Code”, Aiden Hills

Osmosis Magazine

Imagine a scenario where mission control on Earth must communicate with a satellite as it orbits Mars, nearly 240 million miles away. This communication relies on binary commands, where a simple digit, '0' or '1', can dictate critical actions. For instance, '0' might instruct the satellite to capture vital images of the surface of Mars, while '1' could command it to maintain its trajectory.

Rat Ultrasonic Vocalizations And Their Implication In Limiting Anthropomorphizing In Animal Research, Isabel Dilandro

Osmosis Magazine

Emotions in humans are very difficult to measure in a scientifically responsible manner.They are fickle, difficult to define, and even more difficult still to attach numerical value to as a subjective, malleable thing. If affective science, also known as the study of emotion, is difficult to fully grasp with participants that can talk back to us, effectively providing verbal insight to the inner workings of their cognition and self-reporting their thoughts and feelings for interpretation, then what are researchers meant to do when it comes time to measure the same responses in subjects that cannot provide them with any of …

“How Neonicotinoids In Pesticides Impact Bee Behavior And Ecological Interactions”, Jack Dupuy

Osmosis Magazine

Animal pollination, primarily facilitated by bees, represents a crucial ecosystem service, benefiting nearly 90 percent of flowering plants and contributing to the prosperity of 75 percent of the world's most prevalent crops.

Unraveling Adar Expression And Rna Editing Activity In Adult And Embryonic Tissue In The Squid Euprymna Berryi, Kayla Friedman, Gjendine Voss, Joshua Rosenthal

Osmosis Magazine

RNA editing by adenosine deamination gives an organism the ability to alter its protein-coding sequences, resulting in an overall change in protein structure and function. Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) convert specific adenosines (A) into inosines (I) that are interpreted as guanosines (G) by the translational machinery. Coleoid cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish), like vertebrates, possess two catalytically active ADAR enzymes, sqADAR1 and sqADAR2, but unlike any other organism, cephalopods recode transcripts by A-to-I RNA editing to an extraordinary extent, particularly in neuronal tissue.

“How Shape Affects Drug Action”, Andrew Watts

Osmosis Magazine

There are innumerable factors that influence the development and efficacy of pharmaceutical agents, but one of the most crucial considerations is the shape of the drug. Yes – the shape. Drugs come in all different shapes and sizes

Letter From The Editor, Andrew Watts

Osmosis Magazine

Dear Reader,

Thank you for opening Osmosis Magazine. We are excited to bring you more accessible, intriguing stories in science and technology spanning the disciplines of chemistry, environmental science, and mathematics. In addition to this edition’s science articles, we are excited to introduce faculty interviews, which chronicle select faculty members’ journeys into science and some of their passions outside of it. Interactive components such as crossword puzzles and word searches are also included. Our goal as a magazine is to share the joy of science with the UR community in an accessible and entertaining fashion. We hope that you …

Osmosis Magazine - Fall 2023

Osmosis Magazine

Osmosis is a student read, led, and written publication from the University of Richmond, focusing on all aspects of healthcare and science.

Parkinson’S On The Radar, A Revolution In Disease Diagnosis, Ryan Cvelbar

Osmosis Magazine

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Parkinson’s disease is one of the fastest-growing neurological diseases in the world, second only to Alzheimer’s. The National Institute on Aging loosely defines Parkinson’s disease as a brain disorder that develops over the course of several years resulting from nerve cell death in the basal ganglia, a section of the brain that controls movement. These nerve cells are known to produce the neurotransmitter, dopamine, that is necessary for proper movement of your body. As more of these cells die, less dopamine is produced than normal and patients begin to experience symptoms.

Seafood Mislabeling: Molecular Strategies To Identify Fish Species And Rethinking Public Outreach In Taiwan And The U.S., Ping Yen (Jeff) Tsai

Osmosis Magazine

Swapping identical fish with substitutes has been a widespread issue across the globe. Despite the valiant efforts of policymakers, seafood misidentification continues to be pervasive among large and small vendors, from sushi venues to grocery stores in the United States.

A Mini Spark: Casting Light On The Science Of Candy, Isabel Dilandro

Osmosis Magazine

Every day, children experience something for the first time in their lives. In the mind of a child, many naturally occurring phenomena often feel like magic.

The Origins Of Mathematics: Invented Or Discovered?, Andrew Watts

Osmosis Magazine

A divisive subject amongst students of all ages, Mathematics remains an integral part of each student’s educational journey. Why is that? you may wonder. The answer is that Mathematics lies at the center of the natural world.

Chatgpt: A Blessing Or A Curse For Education?, Jack Dupuy

Osmosis Magazine

So what is ChatGPT and how is it changing education for better or worse? ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to generate human-like responses to natural language questions and statements. It has been trained on a vast amount of data from a diverse range of sources including books, articles, and websites, allowing it to answer a wide range of questions on various topics.

Letter From The Editor, Lily Dickson

Osmosis Magazine

Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up this semester’s issue of OSMOSIS. We are a student-run magazine filled with all things science! Inside these pages, you will find articles exploring all aspects of science, from straight scientific arguments to philosophical questions regarding mathematics and learning in a world of AI.

We have a talented group of writers, editors, and designers this year, and I cannot wait to share with you our spring issue. It is bittersweet to put together my final issue of OSMOSIS, and little makes me prouder than being a part of this team. Whatever article you choose …

Osmosis Magazine - Spring 2023

Osmosis Magazine

Osmosis is a student read, led, and written publication from the University of Richmond, focusing on all aspects of healthcare and science.

Hiv And Bacterial Lps Synergistically Activate Aim2 Inflammasome In Primary Human Oral Keratinocytes, Md Shafayat Jamil, Deepa Roy, Upal Roy, Hansapani Rodrigo, Nirakar Sahoo, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: HIV infection profoundly disrupts the oral microbiome, increasing the presence of Gram-negative bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), which is detected in over 80% of cases. P. gingivalis secretes lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent immune stimulant that can damage primary human oral keratinocytes (HOK) even in antiretroviral therapy (cART) treated people with HIV (PWH). HOK cells respond to bacterial and viral stimuli by activating inflammasome complexes, including AIM2, a DNA-sensing inflammasome protein. While LPS alone is known to trigger canonical and non-canonical pathways, leading to inflammasome activation, our study investigates how HIV exposure synergizes with LPS to induce the …

Elevated Familism As A Protective Factor Against Type 2 Diabetes And Alzheimer’S Disease In The Rgv Hispanic Communities, Juan F. Lopez, Luis Aguillon, Chun Xu, Daniela Ollervides Charles, Gladys Maestre

Research Symposium

Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are significant contributors to cognitive decline, disproportionately affecting Hispanic/Latino populations. T2DM increases the risk of AD and dementia through mechanisms such as insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and neurodegeneration (Umegaki, 2014; González et al., 2020). Social determinants such as socioeconomic status, healthcare access, and cultural factors, including familism, exacerbating disease progression (Vega et al., 2017). Familism—a cultural value emphasizing strong family ties, loyalty, and caregiving—may play a dual role, both as a factor shaping disease management and as a potential protective element.

Elevated familism can foster supportive family networks that …

Frontotemporal Dementia And Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Case Report And Clinical Insights, Audrey Grigore, Lynne J. Goebel

Internal Medicine

Primary care providers are often the first contact for patients with neurodegenerative illnesses, however, they may not be aware of the relationship of certain diseases that may have an impact on their patients' longevity. This case report reminds clinicians of the association between frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Physicians should be aware of the association, because FTD commonly occurs first and may prepare clinicians to be alert to the signs of ALS in these patients, leading to earlier detection of ALS and the prescription of disease-modifying medication that may extend the lifespan of people with these diseases. …

Changes In Matches Into Surgical Residencies And Fellowships Following The Acgme Merger., Sara S Soliman, Gabrianna Andrews, Salma Emara, Naomi Watkins-Granville, Alicia Podwójniak, Iman Hasan, Jha Stuti, Alissa Brotman

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

OBJECTIVE: In 2015, a transition was initiated among the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), resulting in a single accrediting body for residencies and fellowships as of 2020. This study aims to elucidate whether this had an impact on osteopathic students' matching into general surgery residencies, integrated surgery residencies, and surgical fellowships.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using the Results and Data Residency Match data file and the Results and Data: Specialties Matching Service data from the National Resident Matching Program from 2015 to 2024, data was …