Fellow explorer! We are currently migrating content published before 2024. Archives of our old website are available at Wayback Machine.

Technology

Nickase: the Next Tool in Gene Editing

CRISPR-Cas9 revolutionized the field of genetic engineering but has significant drawbacks, as the double-strand breaks it induces have a relatively high rate of mutations and off-target activity. An emerging alternative is NICER, a technique utilizing an endonuclease called nickase, which has much lower levels of mutagenicity and a high level of specificity that rivals CRISPR-Cas9. This review will survey the various developments made in the nickase pipeline, specifically how they make up for CRISPR’s drawbacks, and its potential for treating genetic disorders with more accuracy and efficiency than current therapeutic tools.

A Review of the NAO Robot in Treatments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Popular interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) target behavioral, educational, and socio-relational improvement. To reduce the workload of human therapists, robots have been used in recent years to record behaviors, engage children, and adapt levels of treatment. This review analyzes studies done on the interaction of NAO, the most popular robot in ASD interventions due to its humanoid shape and high capabilities in verbal and non-verbal communication, with human therapists, parents, and children to improve joint attention, motor skills, and prosocial behaviors of children with ASD.

Robots Helping Humans

From vacuuming floors in homes to serving food in restaurants, robots have become suffused into our daily lives. Now, robots have a new function in our healthcare system, as behavioral therapists for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Effectiveness of Cognitive Training for Improving Working Memory in Children with ADHD

Current approaches for managing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children, including medication, behavioral therapy, parent training, and cognitive therapy, come with limitations. Cognitive training, which aims to enhance specific psychological skills through repetitive practice frequently via game-like computer programs, is being explored as a possible component of a multi-modal treatment strategy. Despite increasing development in recent years, its effectiveness on some cognitive deficits and clinical symptoms of ADHD has been questioned. Hence, this systematic review aims to evaluate and synthesize some of the available evidence to address the question: is cognitive training effective for improving WM in children diagnosed with ADHD?

Listening and learning: noninvasive ecological research with passive acoustics

As the Anthropocene extinction crisis unfolds, effective monitoring of what biodiversity we have left is increasingly imperative. Emerging as an unlikely ally is sound, which, with the help of new technological advances, we can listen to gain clues about the ecology of wildlife with minimal disturbance to the environment. This feature explores the world of this new art of listening–passive acoustics– and how it could revolutionize ecology and conservation.

Modeling Alzheimer’s Disease Using Human Brain Organoids

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that starts with mild memory loss and progresses to the loss of the ability to carry out daily activities, ultimately leading to death. Recent advances in stem cell research have led to the development of in vitro self-assembling 3-dimensional models of the human brain, called human brain organoids, which can model pathological processes of AD assess the effectiveness of various drug treatments. This literature review will synthesize the research done on the use of 3D human brain organoids to model AD pathology and its use in developing and assessing treatments for AD.

Detecting Pancreatic Cancer: Implementing Novel Methods

The high mortality rate of pancreatic cancer is closely linked to the lack of noticeable symptoms until the disease has advanced, making early detection and intervention exceedingly challenging. However, recent advancements in diagnostic methods, medical therapies, and other contributing factors have provided avenues for detecting pancreatic cancer in its early stages. This literature review aims to shed light on the potential interventions and advancements that can aid in the battle against pancreatic cancer.

Predetermination of Sex in Production Animals Through the Use of Sperm Sexing, Gene Editing, and Spectroscopic Methods

Every year, staggering numbers of male chicks, calves, and piglets are killed in the U.S. The animal welfare issues encompassing the culling and castration of unwanted male animals in food production can be addressed through a multitude of sex determination methods. This review examines the potential of sperm sexing by flow cytometry, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and spectroscopy methods as efficient and economically viable measures for industry.

Copper Electrocatalyst Designs For Electrochemical Reduction and Utilization of Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide utilization is a technique that can be used to mitigate the current climate crisis by capturing industrially generated carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting it to useful chemicals. Research on carbon dioxide utilization has prompted scientists to explore the topic of carbon dioxide reduction through electrolysis, a technique used to generate and convert carbon dioxide to multi-carbon complexes through electrical currents. This review explores the special properties of various designs of copper electrocatalysts used in the formation of multi-carbon complexes.

Advancing Bio-Based Alternatives to UV Gel Nail Products

The beauty industry has witnessed a growing concern regarding the environmental impact of conventional nail polish formulations, particularly, those containing fossil fuel-based polymers and harmful chemicals. The search for eco-friendly alternatives has led to the exploration of bio-based polymers derived from natural resources, such as plant oils, plant starches, and bio-based monomers. This review focuses on six bio-based polymer alternatives that have shown promise in gel nail polish formulations.