The Desire for Perfection
By Meenu Johnkutty ‘21 According to the American Psychological Association, the desire to be perfect in multiple areas of life is on the rise among college students. A recent study conducted by lead author Dr. Thomas Curran of the University of Bath is the first to analyze different forms of perfectionism among college students of multiple generations. Dr. Curran and his colleagues defined perfectionism as … Continue reading The Desire for Perfection
Subtleties in Brains of Jazz Pianists and Classical Pianists Explored
By Meenu Johnkutty ‘21 While a number of the beneficial effects of music are well-known, recent research suggest that music not only increases brain plasticity but also plays a robust role in sharpening mental skills and improving speech recognition. Since reading music activates multiple areas of the brain, it is no surprise that the brains of professional musicians are quite different than those of their … Continue reading Subtleties in Brains of Jazz Pianists and Classical Pianists Explored
Graphitic Electro-catalytic Fuel Cells
By Meenu Johnkutty ‘21 For decades, climate scientists have touted wind, solar, and nuclear energy as alternatives to fossil fuels, which, due to their affordability, nonetheless remain an attractive avenue for big oil companies. Recent studies have demonstrated that fuel cells, electrochemical cells that convert hydrogen into electricity, have potential to replace current energy sources. These novel forms of energy are characterized by high efficiency, … Continue reading Graphitic Electro-catalytic Fuel Cells
Mucopolysaccharidoses Treatment with Gene Therapy
By Daniel Walocha ‘19 Muscopolysaccharidoses (MPS) is a lysosomal storage disorder which results from a deficiency of lysosomal enzymes. The lack of enzymes causes an accumulation of glycosaminoglycans that can lead to severe symptoms including heart disease, nervous system damage, and skeletal dysplasia. Enzyme replacement therapies, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and substrate reduction therapy are short-lived and temporary resolutions that cannot reach a number of … Continue reading Mucopolysaccharidoses Treatment with Gene Therapy
Nanomaterial’s Potential in Cancer Immunotherapy
By Daniel Walocha ‘19 Immunotherapy is a promising therapy that has potential since it uses the patient’s own immune system to kill cancer cells. This unique quality that is not usually present in radiation or chemotherapy has promise in that it can present a durable treatment that limits metastasis and future recurrences. Since cancer cells rely heavily on immune evasion or suppression to avoid cell … Continue reading Nanomaterial’s Potential in Cancer Immunotherapy
FOXO Proteins Role in Cancer Pathways
By Daniel Walocha ‘19 FOXO proteins have previously been established as transcription factors in genes controlling mitogenic cell growth, metabolism, and proliferation. They contain a common sequence, the forkhead box, which encodes for a string of 80-100 amino acids which form a DNA-binding motif. Though, the specific cancer pathways and crosstalk among the signaling proteins have not been clearly described, Dr. Jian Ma and a … Continue reading FOXO Proteins Role in Cancer Pathways
The Genetics Behind Sleep Duration
By: Meenu Johnkutty ’21 The need to sleep is one of health and medicine’s biggest paradoxes. Though we spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, little is really known about this process. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, over 30 to 35% of the population suffers from insomnia, which is characterized by a difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep throughout the night. … Continue reading The Genetics Behind Sleep Duration
Boredom and the Urge to Sleep: The Link Explained
By: Meenu Johnkutty ’21 If you have ever felt the strong impulse to sleep during a boring lecture or movie, researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan can explain why. In their study, published in Nature, the researchers led by Yo Oishi implicated a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens in the onset of slow wave sleep. The nucleus accumbens is a … Continue reading Boredom and the Urge to Sleep: The Link Explained
The Effects of Fish Consumption on Sleep and Cognition in Children
By Meenu Johnkutty ’21 Eating fish might be more beneficial than originally thought. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania recently published a study outlining the benefits of fish consumption on sleep quality and cognition in children. The study was originally published in Scientific Reports, a branch of Nature, with Jianghong Liu as the lead author. Long chains of omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and … Continue reading The Effects of Fish Consumption on Sleep and Cognition in Children
Ultraconserved Elements Found to Affect Brain Development
By Marcia-Ruth Ndege ’21 In human embryos, the brain begins to develop during the first trimester of pregnancy. Proper brain development is critical at its early stages and could have detrimental effects if something goes awry. Scientists and researchers have investigated and familiarized themselves with the basics of brain development. A new study has shown that an unexpected participant plays a major role in this … Continue reading Ultraconserved Elements Found to Affect Brain Development
Searching for New Anti-Malaria Drugs
By Gene Yang ’19 Over 216 million cases of malaria, a disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted by mosquitos, were recorded in 2016. While this disease still results in an estimated half a million deaths per year, the majority of which occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa, mortality rates are on the decline thanks to increased prevention and control. However, if malaria eradication is to … Continue reading Searching for New Anti-Malaria Drugs
Reciprocity and International Cooperation
By: Gene Yang ‘19 Reciprocity, the act of responding to kind actions with other kind actions, has been known to stabilize cooperation within populations and communities. When applied on a global scale, models of international cooperation have shown reciprocity to be a key factor in stabilization. However, empirical research to verify these models have so far been limited to small-scale studies involving two or three … Continue reading Reciprocity and International Cooperation
Young Investigators Review 