By Shannon Bohman ’19 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association reported that 2015 has replaced 2014 as the hottest year on historical record. An unusually large El Niño pattern in the Pacific Ocean contributed to these record temperatures. However, most of this can be explained by global warming created due to the emission of greenhouse gases. As the atmosphere warms, it holds more water vapor. … Continue reading 2015 Named Hottest Year on Record
By Lee Ann Santore ’19 Many researchers suggest that it is in the best interest for consumers to ignore the “body size issue” for the sake of their physical and mental health. An experiment conducted by Lily Lin, of California State University, and Brent McFerran, of Simon Fraser University, investigated how strongly advertisements can influence a woman’s health choices. Women participating in the study were … Continue reading Positive Body Image Campaign Causes Decline in Women’s Health
By Lee Ann Santore ’19 In this age of technology, email is employed as a fundamental form of communication capable of creating and strengthening both casual and professional relationships. Researchers from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, having studied 16 billion emails sent by 2 million users, were able to identify several key patterns. The results revealed that most emails are responded to within an hour, … Continue reading Application of Psychology in Emails Could Lead to More Effective Communication
By Lee Ann Santore ’19 Heart disease is often caused by extended periods of high blood pressure, but its occurrence is not restricted to those individuals with high blood pressure. Traditionally, high blood pressure medications have only been prescribed to patients with systolic blood pressures above the threshold level of 140 mmHg as issued by England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. However, a … Continue reading New Benefits to Lowering Normal Blood Pressure
By Karis Tutuska ’18 Cancer is a scary word, but what is even more frightening is the concept of a contagious cancer. Sarcophilus harrisii, commonly known as Tasmanian devils, are large carnivorous marsupials, savage screechers, and voracious eaters. These organisms are plagued by deadly, fast-acting facial tumors that grow until they prevent the animal from eating and force starvation until death. What is unusual about these … Continue reading New Strain of Infectious Cancer Found in Sarcophilus Harrisii
By Karis Tutuska ’18 It is widely accepted that loneliness can damage mental health. However, a recent study supported by the National Institutes of Health suggested that isolation affects physical health as well. Researchers studied 141 adults aged 50-68 and found that the feeling of loneliness a phenomenon known as “conserved transcriptional response to adversity”(CTRA). CTRA has two major physiological consequences: it inhibits genetic expression … Continue reading New Study Suggests Loneliness Destroys Physical Health
By Shannon Bohman ’19 An new innovative test may help determine whether a fingerprint comes from a man or a woman. Certain amino acids are twice as prevalent in women than in men, meaning that testing for amino acid concentration found in fingerprints can determine the gender of the person they belong to. For more than a century, fingerprints have been analyzed as if they … Continue reading Determining the Sex of a Fingerprint
By Shannon Bohman ’19 Stony Brook University recently incorporated breakthrough microbiome technology into nutrient based compositions. The university incorporated these compositions into two patent applications filed to Ortek Therapeutics, Inc. Ortek had been seeking partners to develop and commercialize these compositions into over-the-counter and commercialized products. These nutrient based products, in particular, will efficiently prevent body odor and staph infections. Stony Brook’s Dr. Israel Kleinberg, … Continue reading Microbiome Technology Developed at Stony Brook
By Richard Liang ’18 After extensive use of their multi-drug regimens, many HIV patients begin suffering from kidney impairment and decreased bone density. These pathologies have been recently associated with the chemical tenofovir in the medication regimens. As a response to this, the FDA approved Genvoya, a pill that minimizes tenofovir’s negative side effects. This novel pill combines dosages of active ingredients from standard medications, … Continue reading A Single-Pill HIV Treatment
By Richard Liang ’18 Unlike in model organisms such as yeast and human beings, the microbiological means of cell reproduction in Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, has remained relatively unknown until very recently. Understanding this proliferation has provided researchers with unique and vital insight on the progression of the malaria, a fast-reproducing, medication-resistant, deadly disease. Researchers at the University of Nottingham have identified that … Continue reading The Secret Behind the Rampant Spread of Malaria
By Shannon Bohman ’19 Scientists have recently concluded that deforestation is threatening more than half of the tree species found in the Amazon. Researchers compared data on tree diameters, leaves, branches, flowers, and fruits to maps of projected deforestation. The analysis was the first quantified estimate of how many Amazonian species were at risk. The data was run through a computer model under two … Continue reading Deforestation and Tree Extinction in the Amazon
By Amanda Ng Through the last century or so, an emphasis on social equality has brought the plights of many minority groups to light. In the past, members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community have suffered from severe emotional distress because of the discrimination they face, and many still worry about gaining and keeping the acceptance of their peers and families. Though they … Continue reading Gender Identity in Transgender Children
Young Investigators Review 