2021

Considering the Microbiota-Gut-Brain-Axis in Cancer Research

2021, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine / By

Lead Author: Jillian Troth1 Co-Authors (alphabetical order): Roxanna Attar2, Julia Gainski3, Vincent Lai4, Grace Lee5, Callie Moody1, Megan Nelson6 1Dartmouth College, 2University of Texas at Austin, 3University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 4Rice University, 5Williams College, 6Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University Cover Image: A fluorescently-stained image of a three-dimensional culture of human breast cancer cells. …

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Single Cell RNA Sequencing Enhances Understanding of Tumor Genetic Diversity

2021, Biology, Medicine / By

Figure 1: Researchers have shown that tumor cells are a mixture of cancer cells and normal cells. Distinguishing malignant cells and nonmalignant cells in the tumor microenvironment is critical for understanding tumor cell gene expression (Source: Flickr, NIH Image Gallery). Single Cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq), a transcriptomic analysis tool, has become important in cancer research …

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Human Endogenous Retroviruses Might Unlock a New Field of Neurodegenerative Disease Research

2021, Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience / By

Figure 1: Researchers have found viral genetic materials within the human genome which are the result of retroviruses that infected our ancestors millions of years ago. Scientists refer to these viruses as human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). HERVs have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). (Source: Public Domain Pictures, Виталий Смолыгин) Viral …

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Mucins: The Medical Target of the Future

2021, Biology, Medicine / By

Figure: Diagram of Mucin Structure. Mucins are glycosylated membrane proteins with complex o-glycans on their extracellular TR region, which provide identifying information for interactions with microbes (Source: Jcastr07, Wikimedia Commons). While the microbiome has been receiving increasing attention as a key physiological player, the mucinome, or mucus composition in the body, may be the gateway …

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Why Future A.I Robots Should Be Created With Immutable Code Limiting Singularity

2021, Neuroscience / By

Figure: Sophia, the first robot citizen in the Global A.I summit 2018. Sophia is a social robot that claims it can take care of the sick and help in roles involving social interaction (Source: Wikimedia Commons, ITU Pictures) Singularity, also known as “machine consciousness”, is a concept that marks the threshold for A.I development without …

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The Positives of Plushies: Stuffed Animals Have Benefits for Children and Adults

2021, Medicine, Neuroscience / By

Figure: A young girl sleeps with a teddy bear in her arms after receiving medical treatment at Gheskio Field Hospital (Joshua Lee Kelsey, Wikimedia Commons). For many children, stuffed animals are loyal and comforting companions. A fluffy friend can make a trip to the doctor or sleeping in the dark seem a little less daunting. …

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An Overview of Oncology Treatments

An Overview of Oncology Treatments

2021, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine / By

Lead Authors: Dina Rabadi1, Sarah Matatov2 Co-Authors: Carolina Guerrero1, Nina Klee1,Whitney Nicanor Mabwi3, Bamlak Messay1, Yu Quan Ng4, Melanie Prakash1, Andrew Sasser1, Jillian Troth1 Dartmouth College1, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign2, Moi University3, Williams College4 Cover Figure: A clipboard surrounded by various drugs and delivery methods to treat cancer, showing the vast options and challenges …

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The Emergence Of Mindful Computing

2021, Neuroscience / By

Figure: A colorful display of a stimulated brain surrounded by images representing artificial intelligence. In recent years, the combination of neuroscience and machine learning techniques has given rise to the field of computational neuroscience (Source: Pixabay, Geralt). The field of computational neuroscience focuses on the use of mathematical models to understand the physiology and cognitive …

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Like Owls, These Tiny Desert Dinosaurs Hunted in the Dark

2021, Biology / By

Figure 1: Animated drawing of the extinct theropod Shuvuuia Source: Wikimedia Commons, Michael B.H James Neenan, a paleontologist at the University of Oxford, was looking at internal ear within the fossilized remains of an extinct non-avian flesh eating theropod dinosaur, Shuvuuia deserti, or the ‘desert bird’, when he found that it had an unusually long …

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UV-Vis Spectroscopy: A Step in the Light Direction

2021, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Physics / By

Executive Board Advisor: Nishi Jain Co-Authors: Daniela Galvez-Cepeda, Katherine Faulkner, Sonia Fung, Alexandra McOsker, Sarah Matatov, Arooba Ahmed, Lina Lew, Maria Clara Trajano, Sreya Roy, Carolina Guerrero, Anahita Kodali, Maeen Arslan, Aadhishre Kasat Figure 1: UV Spectroscopy is a powerful tool that’s emerging in a wide array of academic labs to characterize molecules, chemical compounds, …

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