Anti-NMDAR Autoantibodies Disrupt Ionotropic Receptor Signaling
Vignesh Subramanian ’24 N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ligand-gated ion channels whose signaling enables higher-order functions, such as learning and memory, throughout the brain. They are activated by glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and are dynamically distributed across synaptic and extrasynaptic sites. The obligate composition of these protein receptors includes two subunits known as GluN1 paired with combinations of spliced regulatory … Continue reading Anti-NMDAR Autoantibodies Disrupt Ionotropic Receptor Signaling
Loss of Dopamine Impairs Voluntary Movement in Parkinson’s Disease
Sooraj Shah ’24 For years, the correlation between loss of the hormone dopamine and the development of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has been evident. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that assists in the propagation of electrical signals in the brain, which facilitate everyday movements such as walking and writing. A reduction of dopamine levels in an individual with Parkinson’s disease may lead to shaking and poor coordination. … Continue reading Loss of Dopamine Impairs Voluntary Movement in Parkinson’s Disease
Social Evaluation and Anxiety Can Affect Perception of Threats
Ayesha Azeem ’23 When we make decisions, a multitude of cognitive processes occur. One such factor involved is social evaluation, which may either enhance or hinder perceptual decisions. Perceptual decision-making is defined as choosing one option out of a set based on available sensory information. It is often observed when one perceives threatening stimuli, a response conserved through evolution. Thus, the determination of threatening stimuli … Continue reading Social Evaluation and Anxiety Can Affect Perception of Threats
Ivory Poaching in Elephants Is Causing Tusklessness in Elephants
Yukta Kulkarni ’22 Poaching is defined as the illegal hunting of animals, especially when some part of an animal is profitable. This type of wildlife exploitation has been occurring for years, harming multiple species and causing unforeseen evolutionary consequences. A prominent example of this is habitual ivory poaching, or the killing of both male and female elephants for their extremely valuable ivory tusks. In fact, … Continue reading Ivory Poaching in Elephants Is Causing Tusklessness in Elephants
Immunomodulatory Therapies Improve Long-Term Visual Outcomes Amid Optic Neuritis Preceding Late-Stage MS
Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Optic neuritis (ON) is a condition involving inflammation of the optic nerve that can cause its demyelination, or the destruction of the fatty tissue known as myelin that insulates and protects nerves. Although relatively rare, ON first manifests in young adulthood and can cause diminished visual acuity or blurriness, poor pupillary constriction, ophthalmalgia (eye pain), and the inability to see out of one … Continue reading Immunomodulatory Therapies Improve Long-Term Visual Outcomes Amid Optic Neuritis Preceding Late-Stage MS
Formation of Night Clouds on Venus May Have Prevented Earth-like Conditions
Sooraj Shah ’24 Venus shares many similarities with Earth, including approximate size and mass. Venus’ surface temperature, however, is much hotter and contains a much thicker atmosphere consisting of carbon dioxide. For years, scientists have made estimates that Venus once was a thriving planet containing the resources for life like Earth. A research study led by astrophysicist Martin Turbet, in collaboration with the University of … Continue reading Formation of Night Clouds on Venus May Have Prevented Earth-like Conditions
Deforestation May Affect Worker Productivity in Rural Communities
Ayesha Azeem ’23 Trees are known for their cooling services through shade and evapotranspiration, the process by which water is transferred from land to the atmosphere through evaporation. Unfortunately, tropical deforestation has accelerated exponentially in the past century, leading to the elimination of these cooling services in low latitude countries. Without such cooling services, local temperatures can increase over a single season, which affects not … Continue reading Deforestation May Affect Worker Productivity in Rural Communities
Investigating the Efficacy of Blue-Light Lenses in Reducing Eye Strain
Robyn Rutgers ’24 Computer usage is integral to daily life; however, prolonged electronic usage is associated with vision-related problems, or “computer vision syndrome.” Symptoms include blurred vision, dry eyes, redness, and headaches. Some have hypothesized that computer vision syndrome is a result of exposure to blue light emitted from computer screens, causing businesses to market blue-light-blocking lenses as a potential solution. However, a lack of … Continue reading Investigating the Efficacy of Blue-Light Lenses in Reducing Eye Strain
Dopamine Circuits: Investigating Relationships Between Dopamine Dysregulation and Midbrain Circuits
Daphne Siozios ’23 Dopamine (DA) is a behavioral neuromodulator that controls the function of the central nervous system through a variety of roles from memory processing and perception to learning and habit formation. The mesolimbic DA pathway, which travels specifically through the midbrain, has been linked to neural deficits caused by a lack of dopamine neurons in the striatum. While research regarding DA’s dysregulation has … Continue reading Dopamine Circuits: Investigating Relationships Between Dopamine Dysregulation and Midbrain Circuits
Money Matters: Investigating Neural Responses to Monetary and Social Feedback
Thumyat Noe ’23 Depression and social anxiety disorders are two of the most common psychopathologies in adults. One way to identify these disorders is by looking at event-related potentials (ERPs) which are measurable brain responses to stimuli. “Reward positivity” is an event-related potential that reflects neural positivity toward rewards and activation of a reinforcement learning system. Previous studies suggest that smaller reward positivity potentials correlate … Continue reading Money Matters: Investigating Neural Responses to Monetary and Social Feedback
Familial Economic Well-Being In Relation to Children’s Personal Development
Ishmam Khan ’25 According to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, almost 20% of German children are part of a single-parent household or stepfamily. Previous research has shown the relationship between the “complexity” of a child’s family– specifically, the degree of deviance from a traditional nuclear family– and a child’s mental well-being. There has also been a scientifically noted connection … Continue reading Familial Economic Well-Being In Relation to Children’s Personal Development
High-Fat Diets in Combination With Triclosan Linked to Non-alcoholic Liver Disease
Daphne Siozios ’23 NAFLD, more commonly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is one of the most prominent chronic liver conditions in the country and is characterized by the accumulation of fat in hepatocytes (liver cells). A cousin of NAFLD, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is a condition that both encompasses the deposition of fat in the liver and inflammation of the organ. Fibroblast growth factor 21 … Continue reading High-Fat Diets in Combination With Triclosan Linked to Non-alcoholic Liver Disease
Young Investigators Review 