Conventional medicine, or Western medicine, describes a system where healthcare professionals trained in the sciences treat symptoms and diseases with medication or surgery. While conventional medicine is widely accepted, it is not the only healthcare system available. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is defined by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) as […]
The possible inheritance of unfavorable genetics sits in the front of many new and soon-to-be parents’ minds. Though it may seem comforting to know if one’s child carries the risk of developing certain conditions in adulthood, is it in the best interest of the child to grow up with this knowledge? This burden poses an
Anxiety and exploitation: Ethical dilemmas in pediatric genetic screening Read More »
Globally, Indonesia hosts the largest concentration of mangrove forests, accounting for over 20% of the world’s total mangrove population. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, mangrove forests are among the most threatened ecosystems on our planet, with Indonesia reporting the greatest decline in population of any concentrated area of mangrove forest. Without
Mangroves and oysters: Using nature’s ecosystem engineers to save coastal communities Read More »
From Georgia and Alabama in the South to Michigan and Maine in the North, the American chestnut was once a keystone species of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. In 1904, one out of every four trees east of the Mississippi was an American chestnut. It could reach heights over 100 feet, earning it the nickname “the
Darling 58: Using genetic engineering to save the American chestnut Read More »
As far as diseases go, few are met with more interest and concern than cancer. Cancers are the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and the subject of an immense body of research. Treatments for cancer are notoriously hard on the body and in many cases can only delay the progression of the
How metastatic melanoma invades the body Read More »
Becoming a parent can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. However, parenting is a physically and financially daunting task that requires careful planning to ensure that a child is safe and will have an enriching life socially, physically, and mentally. Despite careful planning, children are at risk for a host of developmental
PediaTrac: A pioneer in early autism detection Read More »
Visit the seafood section at any supermarket and you’ll see numerous salmon filets laid out on ice, recognizable by the bright, orange color of their flesh. Tasty and easy to cook at home, salmon has always been in high demand and seemingly in high supply too — although the seafood section hardly reveals the entire
The domestication of a king: How farmed salmon are usurping wild salmon Read More »
Monkeys can play video games with their minds. Rats can control each others’ brains. Previously injured humans can restore sensation and function in limbs. These impossible-sounding events are all achievable with brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which are systems that use electrical devices to collect neural signals from the central nervous system and, using algorithms, translate them
The power of the mind: Using neural signals to restore movement in paralyzed limbs Read More »
Invisibility — a superpower that once only seemed possible in the Harry Potter universe — is actually more realistic than we think. A special organism found in South American rainforests, aptly named the glass frog, is a virtually transparent amphibian with translucent green skin, muscle, and tissues. Only the frog’s major organs are visible when
How to disappear: Glass frogs and a lesson on hemoglobin flow Read More »