Literature Reviews

Plants, which are sessile organisms, are extremely vulnerable to climate change, which is pushing plants out of their desired temperature range. One particular consequence is increased mutation rates, which is a known consequence of heat that has wide-ranging implications from conservation to breeding, to agricultural practice through its impact on genetic variation. This review will discuss past and current studies into this subject matter future paths of research that could be explored in regard to the effect of heat on the mutation rate in plants.

The semaglutide Ozempic is well known the promote weight reduction, but it has been shown that some comorbidities that are tied in with type 2 diabetes are also improved when used. Consequently, cardiovascular disease can be fatal especially when compounded with the background effects of type 2 diabetes. This review of literature focuses on how cardiovascular disease improves in type 2 diabetic patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.

In the zombie-apocalypse video game and hit TV series The Last of Us, a fungus infects humans and takes control of their minds, mutating them into putrid monsters. This was was inspired by Ophiocordyceps, a genus of parasitic fungi that infects ants. Even though this fungus cannot affect humans, other parasites can. Studying the processes that underlie Ophiocordyceps infection can help us enhance our understanding of human parasites and other pathogens. This review will compile known factors and mechanisms involved in Ophiocordyceps’ manipulation of its host, from initial infection to death.

Over the past two decades, the psychedelic ketamine has gained traction among scientists and mental health providers as a potential alternative treatment for depression. However, ketamine’s actions on a molecular level are still not fully understood, and its adverse side effects present a recurrent challenge. This review will provide an overview of results from preclinical and clinical trials of ketamine-based therapeutics for major depression

Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), a case of vaginal microbiome imbalance (dysbiosis) in women, have been limited to antibiotics, which are ineffective against BV recurrence. However, some physicians are beginning to advocate for probiotics to help restore eubiosis in the vaginal microbiome. One promising treatment, Lactin-V, a strain of Lactobacillus crispatus, has been studied as a suppository probiotic, showing promising results thus far. This review will discuss why supplemental Lactobacillus probiotics, with its natural protection and H2O2 production, should be integrated into the standard treatment of antibiotics for women with recurrent BV to combat its negative health impacts.

Kelp forests cover 25% of the world’s coastlines and contain high biodiversity rates around the world. But they have been in decline in recent years, leaving many species without a food source and a home, and resulting in a great shift in the ecosystem. Restoration of these forests has proved to be difficult, as researchers must address the numerous causes driving deforestation while simultaneously attempting to restore kelp populations. This review will discuss recent research on methods taken to restore kelp forests in different areas of the world.

Global crop yields are at their highest in recorded history, but to prioritize higher yields farmers are incentivized to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These can disrupt the crop’s ability to extract micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from the soil, which ultimately produces a less nutritional crop. A solution developed in recent years has been regenerative farming - a collection of sustainable practices whose primary focus is revitalizing farm soil while maintaining yield. This review will explore the long-term decline in iron, zinc, and copper concentrations for many crops, its implications for the human immune system, and how regenerative farming can alleviate these trends.

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) were the leading causes of death from 1990 to 2015, with an estimated 17.9 million deaths worldwide. Psychosocial studies have uncovered associations between everyday aspects of life and physical health, especially relating to depression and stress. Research has shown that depression is a risk factor for CVDs, but the individual experiences that have a possibility of causing poor mental health were not explored, limiting these findings. This review will cover research on the impacts of socioeconomic status, debt, social dynamics, and ethnicity on cardiovascular health.

As more states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, its use among adolescents is increasing. This is problematic because marijuana's psychoactive component, THC, can act directly on parts of the brain in critical development during adolescence. Current literature proposes long-term cognitive effects based on recurring correlations; however, a lack of consistent and reliable approaches for controlling confounding variables remains an issue. This review will focus on the current state of research on the effects of adolescent marijuana use on cognitive function, its potential long-term consequences, and highlight the inconsistencies in research methodologies.