Spatial organization of neocortical myelinated axons at the ultrastructural level
This paper examines the organization of myelinated axons, the long neuronal processes integral to long distance communication in the brain circuitry.
Natural sciences
Trading the Stethoscope for the Nanoscope
Meet Professor Charles M. Lieber - ranked the number one chemist by citation impact over the last decade - and read about the path that took him to where he is today.
Hill stability and Kozai evolution with applications to Kuiper belt binaries
This study investigates the stability of a three-body system, which is a difficult problem in astrophysics. The author focuses on how stability criteria are altered when considering the Kozai effect, or the periodic alternation of inclination and eccentricity in the smaller binary pair.
The Synergistic Combination of Industry & Academia at the Harvard Clinical Research Institute
By Yi Cai ’11, THURJ Staff Collaborative efforts between the Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and Partners HealthCare founded the non-profit institution, the Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI). In this joint venture headquartered near the Boston University campus, industry meets academia to advance clinical research in multiple areas, from medical device trials to quality of life [...]
Encountering a New Frontier: The Practice and Politics of Stem Cell Research
By Kyle Green ‘14 and Meewon Park ‘14, THURJ Staff George Daley: A Pioneer in Stem Cell Research In recent years, the advances made in stem cell research have astounded even the greatest minds in the field. George Daley, Professor of Hematology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at HMMI/Children’s Hospital Boston, said, “I [...]
Hemojuvelin deficiency in zebrafish
Hemojuvelin (Hjv) is a member of the repulsive-guidance molecule (RGM) family that upregulates transcription of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin by activating the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway in mammalian cells. Hepcidin has been called the master regulator for iron, and hepcidin expression and regulation deviations have been implicated in disease such as juvenile hemochromatosis and thalassemia. This paper evaluates the effects of hjv on hepcidin expression in embryonic zebrafish development.
A Diet to Live Longer?
By Ina Chen ‘14 and Jonathan Zhou ‘14, THURJ Staff It is common knowledge that mental abilities decrease with age. Over the years, many people have attempted to understand the processes of aging and develop methods to delay the debilitating conditions brought on by old age. Recently, advancements in the field of biology have revealed more and more about the [...]
Mom Vs. Dad
With the rise of the field of genetics, our genes and the environment we grow up in became polarized forces, competing determinants of who we are. Ongoing scientific research, however, continues to illuminate the fact that they are not two opposing forces; instead, they continuously interact as they drive the development of living organisms.
A Journey Through the Mind
What separates apes from humans? What causes some people to doubt their own existence? Why can some associate colors with numbers while others associate them with musical notes? Dr. Vilyanur S. Ramachandran seeks to probe the inner workings of the human brain in his new book, The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human.
Probing the nuclear role of Ube3a in the pathogenesis of Angelman syndrome
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurological disorder often involving epilepsy, autistic tendencies, mental retardation and ataxia. The genetic locus of the disorder has been identified as an inability to inherit a functional maternal copy of the gene UBE3A, which encodes for a ubiquitin ligase involved in proteasome-mediated degradation. Here, Zapf and Anderson characterizes the effect of Ube3a on tissue development.