Kevin Shi - Reflective Journal

[KevinS9714]

Hey everyone, I'm Kevin! I'm currently a 2nd year studying B.Com/LLB. I seem to be in the minority of students in the course that aren't studying Science at university. I was looking for an interesting and engaging Dalyell course to join, and one of my friends did the course last sem and recommended it - turns out she was part of this particular project too :) Looking forward to working with everyone, and hoping that this is a rewarding experience.

[yaelago]

Hi @KevinS9714 Welcome! looking forward to working together!

[SerriMat]

It's good to expand your disciplines so it's great that you are taking part in a science project! Hope you enjoy the Dalyell unit and looking forward to working together!

[kym834]

Glad to hear that your friend enjoyed the project last semester! We hope you enjoy it too! Excited to see what different perspectives you B.Com/LLB studies bring to the project.

[polekim]

Hi Kevin, looking forward to a great experience working with you :)

[KevinS9714]

26/08 - Choosing Medicines I chose my 5 essential medicines today. I was having some difficulty choosing as I hadn't really heard much about any of the medicines, and have only heard the names of a few of them. I ended up getting some of my friends to look at the list and pick the ones they thought might be interesting for me to look into.

**1. medroxyprogesterone acetate

2. methadone
3. insulin
4. testosterone
5. rifabutin**

I was one of two doing the challenges with the help of the infographic. I found the research tips to be particularly useful: finding reliable sources, looking for medicines that I have heard of/looked interesting in the news, and in particular the importance of asking questions when doing the Newsflash section. I will keep this onboard when I continue researching tomorrow.

[KevinS9714]

27/08 - Newsflash Challenge

With the help of the infographic, I completed the Newsflash challenge for each of my medicines. The infographic places emphasis on a focus on inquiry skills to guide further research.

27/08 - Price Hikes Challenge

The infographic mentions that one of the main goals of E$$ENTIAL MEDICINE$ is to increase the accessibility of medicines around the world. It also discusses a variety of reasons for price hikes, including: drug uniqueness, competition from other companies or drug effectiveness. Under AU's Pharma Benefits Scheme, the government subsidises prescription medicines, making them more accessible. I was vaguely aware that this existed, but was glad to learn more about it. However, the infographic mentioned that while this may appear positive, these price reductions have also translated into high tax. I'd like to read into how this works in due time.

The infographic also provides very useful research tips for the Price Hikes Challenge - in particular, using reputable sources and comparing statistics across multiple databases to ensure accuracy.

27/08 - Circle of Life Challenge

This challenge involved researching the history of the chosen essential medicine - where the medicine comes from, its trade name and the company that owns it, and how these factors can affect the accessibility of the medication

MEDICINES:

medroxyprogesterone acetate I did not know what this medicine was before I searched it up - I had not heard about it in the news or in media. After some research, I learned that MPA (referred to as DMPA in its injectable form) is a hormonal medicine. It's primary uses are as birth control and menopausal hormone therapy. It is also used to treat endometriosis, abnormal uterine bleeding, abnormal sexuality in males and certain types of cancer. A commonly sold birth control brand is known as Depo-Provera, which is injected with effects lasting 3 months at a time. MPA is on the WHO's list of essential medicines, and is the most widely used progestin in menopausal hormone therapy and also in progestogen-only birth control. It works as birth control by preventing ovulation.

A use for DMPA that I did not anticipate after reading its main use (preventing ovulation) that it also reduces sex drive in men, and is used as a form of chemical castration to control unwanted/inappropriate sexual behaviour, including in convicted sex offenders.

In addressing its primary use, I'm glad that there are effective medicines that are accessible for women to prevent unwanted pregnancies, as well as to treat a variety of issues including endometriosis. After some research, I found 150ml of Depo-Provera available for a prescription price of $25, with a concession price of $12 and a safety net price of $7. While I haven't extensively looked into the dosages of the medicine, it appears to be quite affordable.

The infographic advises that asking questions is essential, and asks to consider what the news makes me feel and if it makes me question anything about the pharmaceutical industry. Searching up various keywords relating to the chemical/brand names of the medicine didn't appear to yield many news sources, however I did find an article about a trial in Victoria, NSW and NT with $2.5million in federal funding that will train pharmacists to initiate conversations about long-acting contraceptives. I feel enthusiastic about the potential of this trial, where pharmacists may be better able to educate about contraceptives, including the use of MPA.

However, there are noticeable side effects, including changes in bone density and 20% of women reporting some form of weight gain.

Unfortunately, after some research, I wasn't able to find very much information on price hikes for medroxyprogesterone. I did note, as mentioned above, that doses (assuming it's one shot per 3 months for DMPA) cost $25 prescription and there are significant discounts for those with concessions, making the medicine accessible for the more vulnerable. I did also find that both oral and injected medroxyprogesterone is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (subsidised for greater accessibility) as a drug subject to price disclosure.

methadone Methadone is sold under brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, and is a synthetic opioid agonist used for opioid maintenance therapy in opioid dependence and also for chronic pain management.

The Australian Department of Health published a webpage on methadone, mentioning that the major form of opioid substitution therapy internationally involves orally administered methadone. The article discusses the rationale for methadone maintenance therapy. MMT (methadone maintenance treatment) is based on the cross-tolerance between methadone and heroin. This allows methadone to prevent/reverse withdrawal symptoms, reducing the need for the person to use illegal heroin. Moreover, it remains effective for 24 hours, whereas shorter-acting heroin requires more frequent administration at 3-4 times daily.

Further, higher doses of methadone can block the euphoric effects of heroin, discouraging illicit use and relieving the desire to seek heroin. It allows for rehabilition in essence. Further, it is oral, reducing health risks associated with injection (such as HIV from needle sharing). However, the drug substitution has been subject of much controversy and debate.

I find it interesting that the drug is used to treat opioid dependence. I've heard through media and word of mouth about how difficult it is to go "cold turkey", but I never really pondered the forms of treatment available. I'm glad that there is a well studied substitute used to treat dependencies in a safer way. I'm curious as to whether some people in MMT simply switch from heroin dependency to methadone dependency, and if so what the treatment would become in that case? I have read that it is a relatively safe drug when administered correctly, but I am curious as to what the treatment would be if methadone dependency were to result.

insulin Out of the list of medicines I chose, insulin was the first one that I recognised and had known about beforehand. This particularly interested me, as my father is diabetic. After a little research, I came across a story that I remember seeing 1 or 2 years ago on the news about an insulin injection called Fiasp. This particular medicine is a rapid-acting insulin that helps reduce blood sugar after meals. It contains multiple doses and allows the patient to adjust individual doses. A user commented in the interview that the form of insulin essentially allows him to go about his day to day life pretty much like normal. I found this fascinating, and was quite surprised to stumble across this report over a year later, something I had long forgotten and put somewhere in the back of my mind.

I'm very glad that this insulin injection, but also insulin medicines in general, allow for a better quality of life for people in general. I remember that over a decade ago, my dad feeling very faint on occassion, suffering from hypoglycemia. I'm fairly certain he has insulin now, as I frankly haven't heard much about him in the way of symptoms as far as I can remember in recent years. I guess that just goes to show how important it is for medicines such as insulin to be accessible, as they can drastically improve quality of life and allow people to live as normal.

testosterone Testosterone is another medication and hormone that I have heard about. Out of all my selected medicines, this one I knew the most about before research. It is used to treat male hypogonadism, gender dysphoria, and certain types of breast cancer. It is also used as doping to improve athletic ability.

The primary use of testosterone is to treat males with little to no natural testosterone production (hypogonadism) - this is known as hormone replacement therapy, and is used to maintain serum testosterone levels in the normal male range.

I am glad that this medicine is on the market for those who need it as a result of their body not producing enough of the hormone. This can improve quality of life, as it leads to leaner body mass and controlled weight, increasing energy. Studies show that treatment can decrease fat mass and increase muscle size and strength. It is a relief that those who may have not undergone typical bodily developments during puberty due to hypogonadism are able to develop physically through testosterone treatment if they so desire.

It is also administered to transgender men as part of masculinizing hormone therapy. I am also happy that those experiencing gender dysphoria and wishing to transition have the option to do so through testosterone treatments as another use for the medicine.

rifabutin Rifabutin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria. It is used to prevent MAC in people with HIV infections, and is also used with other medicines to treat tuberculosis in those with HIV. It has been approved for use in cases of tuberculosis where Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains are resistant to rifampicin.

I found this particularly interesting as I had watched a presentation by Dr. Victoria Fraser on antibiotic resistance and the negative consequences that stem as a result. One particularly interesting takeaway was that the largest problem leading to antibiotic resistance in humans is the use of antibiotics in animal/cattle feed to increase yield and production values, which are then subsequently consumed by humans.

I find it very informative and eye-opening that rifabutin is approved for use where people with pulmonary tuberculosis are resistant to a particular antibiotic (rifampicin) are prescribed another related medicine (rifabutin). I'm relieved to learn that this exists to partially counteract the increasing dangers of antibiotic resistance in humans, and that there still exists treatment even if people have strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are resistant to rifampicin.

[KevinS9714]

Update: GitHub has reviewed and unflagged my account, I can now edit and post again.

[kym834]

Great news Kevin! Sorry about this little interruption.

[KevinS9714]

Learning Processes

INFOGRAPHICS IN EDUCATION: REVIEW ON INFOGRAPHICS DESIGN The International Journal of Multimedia & Its Applications (IJMA) Vol.9, No.4/5/6, December 2017

This paper provides useful and relevant insights into the importance of infographics for conveying information in education. It discusses how modern technologies allow learners to learn faster and gain more satisfaction from learning. The paper discusses how infographics can present complex information quickly and clearly as an important data visualisation tool.

EFFECTIVENESS OF SCIENCE INFOGRAPHICS IN IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SIXTH GRADE PUPILS OF ONE LABORATORY SCHOOL IN THE PHILIPPINES Research in Pedagogy, Vol.10, No.2, Year 2020, pp. 313-323

This paper discusses a study undertaken among sixth-grade pupils at at a labratory school in the Philippines. The study found that through corresponding pre-test and post-test results for pupils that respondents performed significantly better in the post-test. The results indicated that infographics were significant in improving academic performance for those learning a science. I chose to bring up this paper as I think it suits the discussion of learning processes among learners through the medium of infographics in Science.