Category: Year

Figure 1. New research suggests that the long-term effects of high intensity exercise extend to memory.
2017-18

High Intensity Exercise Stimulates Memory

By Meenu Johnkutty ‘21 New research suggests that the long-term effects of high intensity exercise may prove to be more beneficial than previously thought. Many studies have demonstrated that aerobic exercise improves the structure and function of the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Scientists posit that neurotrophic factors like insulin growth factor (IGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are … Continue reading High Intensity Exercise Stimulates Memory

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Figure 1. Researchers have found that higher global temperatures directly contributed to the increase in methane, setting in place a vicious positive feedback cycle.
2017-18

Positive Feedback Loop Implicated in Methane Emissions from Aquatic Environments

By Meenu Johnkutty ‘21 Scientists have long forewarned of the detrimental effects of climate change on the planet. Rising global temperatures coupled with the lack of due diligence in handling the environmental crisis have scores of ecologists worried about the many fragile ecosystems on the brink of a biodiversity crisis. A recent study conducted by researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands provides new … Continue reading Positive Feedback Loop Implicated in Methane Emissions from Aquatic Environments

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Figure 1. Finnish researchers recently explored the link between oxytocin and dogs’ emotional response to human facial expressions.
2017-18

The Role of Oxytocin in Dogs’ Emotional Responses to Human Facial Expressions

By Meenu Johnkutty ‘21 Dogs are our friendly companions, our trusted partners in crime, and our constant cuddle buddies. Past studies have found that our facial expressions significantly affect dogs’ emotional responses, and that the “affection hormone” oxytocin is crucial in dogs’ regulation of social behavior and emotions. In a recent study, Finnish researchers at the University of Helsinki chose to research the effects of … Continue reading The Role of Oxytocin in Dogs’ Emotional Responses to Human Facial Expressions

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Figure 1. Researchers from Arizona State University found conductive properties in human integrin protein using Scanning Tunnel Microscopy. The image depicts this technique with a single strand of DNA.
2017-18

Finding Conductive Proteins Using Scanning Tunnel Microscopy

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ’19 Single molecule detection techniques are used to understand the behaviors of a specific biological molecule and have applications in medical and pharmacological research. This can be critical for understanding how an individual biological molecule, such as a specific protein, functions, as well as its role in a biological pathway. Researchers led by Stuart Lindsay, PhD from Arizona State University found high … Continue reading Finding Conductive Proteins Using Scanning Tunnel Microscopy

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Figure 1. Researchers from the Brookhaven National Laboratory developed a scalable process to reduce glare on typically reflective glass surfaces.
2017-18

Using Nanotechnology to Reduce Glare on Screens

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ‘19 Displays of all commonly used electronics such as smartphones, televisions, and laptops all suffer from glare on their glass surfaces. Glass and clear plastics are transparent, but they are still visible due to a small amount of reflection of light caused by the difference between the refractive index of the surface and the rest of the material. Antireflective coating and screens … Continue reading Using Nanotechnology to Reduce Glare on Screens

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Figure 1. Researchers from University of California Los Angeles found that microstimulation of the right entorhinal region of the brain improved memory specificity of epileptic subjects.
2017-18

Electrical Stimulation Improves Memory in Epileptic Patients

By Meghan Bialt-DeCelie ‘19 For many animals and humans, a major region of the brain involved in memory formation is the hippocampus. Learning and memory is done through a neural process called long-term potentiation (LTP), and past research has shown that electric stimulation to the hippocampus can promote this process. Researchers led by Ali Titiz, PhD from The University of California Los Angeles found a … Continue reading Electrical Stimulation Improves Memory in Epileptic Patients

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Figure 1. Recent study suggests that daydreaming may denote superior brain efficiency and capacity.
2017-18

Daydreaming – A Possible Sign of Brain Efficiency

By Nita Wong ’21 In today’s fast-paced society, daydreaming carries a negative connotation. Whether it be in class or during a work meeting, a wandering mind is not considered a positive trait. Recent research, however, suggests that daydreaming may denote superior brain efficiency and capacity. A study led by Christine Godwin and Eric Schumacher of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Psychology examined the … Continue reading Daydreaming – A Possible Sign of Brain Efficiency

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Figure 1. Human brain is the most metabolically demanding organ in the body.
2017-18

The Selfish Brain: A Trade-off Between Cognitive And Physical Performance in Humans

By Maryna Mullerman ’20 The brain metabolizes more glucose — a simple and widely accessible sugar — than any other organ in the human body. Daniel Longman and researchers from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom explored the trade-off involving the brain and muscles, or physical performance, in people. The study investigated how mental and physical activities are affected when they are performed … Continue reading The Selfish Brain: A Trade-off Between Cognitive And Physical Performance in Humans

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Figure 1. Caffeine affects heart rate variability in the first five minutes of recovery after physical exercise.
2017-18

Running on Caffeine

By Maryna Mullerman ’20 Caffeine is a stimulant often found in coffee, energy drinks, and medicine. Many researchers have analyzed its physiological effects, but caffeine’s impact on post-exercise recovery is not widely understood.  Doctor Luana Almeida Gonzaga and researchers from São Paulo State University in Brazil conducted a study focusing on cardiovascular parameters, such as heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), and … Continue reading Running on Caffeine

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Figure 1. Sex-linked distinctions in light perception affect sleep and cognition in humans.
2017-18

Sex Differences Affect Light Perception And Sleep

By Maryna Mullerman ’20 Artificial light and technology have been known to affect human sleep patterns. Scientists think that the circadian clock — physiological 24-hour cycle — might shift in the future. Sarah L. Chellappa and researchers from Harvard Medical School aimed to understand how chronic exposure to light at night affects human health and behavior. They explored how differences in light sensitivity between sexes … Continue reading Sex Differences Affect Light Perception And Sleep

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Figure 1: The RNA Polymerase II molecule is an important enzyme involved in the transcription process of DNA to mRNA.
2017-18

Circular RNAs Have Protein Coding Potential

Gene Yang ‘19 Although the RNA molecules involved in protein synthesis have been extensively studied, other novel types of RNA are still relatively unknown and continue being researched. One such novel type of RNA is circular RNA (circRNA), an endogenous and diverse class of molecules that is present in most eukaryotic cells. Circular RNAs are created from the splicing of pre-mRNA molecules  as they form … Continue reading Circular RNAs Have Protein Coding Potential

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Figure 1. Downtown Manhattan, New York City, where high population density makes infectious disease spread easily.
2017-18

Predicting Flu With Mobility Behaviors

Gene Yang ‘19 In the mathematical modeling of infectious disease, determining the mobility of infectious diseases as well as the mobility patterns of individuals in a population is crucial to predicting the spatial and temporal diffusion of such illnesses. Researchers from the University of Trento gathered two types of data, mobility data and self-reported health data, to construct and validate a model that predicts the … Continue reading Predicting Flu With Mobility Behaviors

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