Browse Articles

Improving Wound Healing by Breaking Down Biofilm Formation and Reducing Nosocomial Infections

DiStefano et al. | Jul 09, 2019

Improving Wound Healing by Breaking Down Biofilm Formation and Reducing Nosocomial Infections

In a 10-year period in the early 2000’s, hospital-based (nosocomial) infections increased by 123%, and this number is increasing as time goes on. The purpose of this experiment was to use hyaluronic acid, silver nanoparticles, and a bacteriophage cocktail to create a hydrogel that promotes wound healing by increasing cell proliferation while simultaneously disrupting biofilm formation and breaking down Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are two strains of bacteria that attribute to nosocomial infections and are increasing in antibiotic resistance.

Read More...

Androgen Diffusion Patterns in Soil: Potential Watershed Impacts

Corson et al. | Jan 24, 2019

Androgen Diffusion Patterns in Soil: Potential Watershed Impacts

Androgens are natural or synthetic steroid hormones that control secondary male sex characteristics. Androgens are excreted in cattle urine and feces, and can run off or seep into nearby waters, negatively impacting aquatic life and potentially polluting human water sources. Here, the authors investigated the effectiveness of soil as a natural barrier against androgen flow into vulnerable waterways. Their results, obtained by testing diffusion patterns of luminol, an androgen chemical analog, indicated that soil is a poor barrier to androgen diffusion.

Read More...

Simulations of Cheetah Roaming Demonstrate the Effect of Safety Corridors on Genetic Diversity and Human-Cheetah Conflict

Acton et al. | Apr 02, 2018

Simulations of Cheetah Roaming Demonstrate the Effect of Safety Corridors on Genetic Diversity and Human-Cheetah Conflict

Ecological corridors are geographic features designated to allow the movement of wildlife populations between habitats that have been fragmented by human landscapes. Corridors can be a pivotal aspect in wildlife conservation because they preserve a suitable habitat for isolated populations to live and intermingle. Here, two students simulate the effect of introducing a safety corridor for cheetahs, based on real tracking data on cheetahs in Namibia.

Read More...

Green Tea Extract as an Environmentally Friendly Antibacterial Agent Against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato on Plants

Lo et al. | Oct 27, 2015

Green Tea Extract as an Environmentally Friendly Antibacterial Agent Against <i>Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato </i>on Plants

Plant pathogens can cause significant crop loss each year, but controlling them with bactericides or antibiotics can be costly and may be harmful to the environment. Green tea naturally contains polyphenols, which have been shown to have some antimicrobial properties. In this study, the authors show that green tea extract can inhibit growth of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and may be useful as an alternative bactericide for crops.

Read More...

Increasing CO2 levels in water decrease the hatching success of brine shrimp

Greer et al. | Jan 07, 2025

Increasing CO<sub>2</sub> levels in water decrease the hatching success of brine shrimp
Image credit: "Live brine shrimp" by Saul Dolgin is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

As atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rise, ocean acidification poses a growing threat to marine ecosystems. To better understand these changes, this study investigates how varying CO2 levels influence the growth of brine shrimp. The findings offer important insights into the resilience of aquatic life and the broader implications of environmental change.

Read More...

Advancing pediatric cancer predictions through generative artificial intelligence and machine learning

Yadav et al. | Dec 21, 2024

Advancing pediatric cancer predictions through generative artificial intelligence and machine learning

Pediatric cancers pose unique challenges due to their rarity and distinct biological factors, emphasizing the need for accurate survival prediction to guide treatment. This study integrated generative AI and machine learning, including synthetic data, to analyze 9,184 pediatric cancer patients, identifying age at diagnosis, cancer types, and anatomical sites as significant survival predictors. The findings highlight the potential of AI-driven approaches to improve survival prediction and inform personalized treatment strategies, with broader implications for innovative healthcare applications.

Read More...

Identifying shark species using an AlexNet CNN model

Sarwal et al. | Sep 23, 2024

Identifying shark species using an AlexNet CNN model

The challenge of accurately identifying shark species is crucial for biodiversity monitoring but is often hindered by time-consuming and labor-intensive manual methods. To address this, SharkNet, a CNN model based on AlexNet, achieved 93% accuracy in classifying shark species using a limited dataset of 1,400 images across 14 species. SharkNet offers a more efficient and reliable solution for marine biologists and conservationists in species identification and environmental monitoring.

Read More...

Solubility of graphite and the efficacy of using its dissolved form as a conductive paste

Kirby et al. | Aug 23, 2024

Solubility of graphite and the efficacy of using its dissolved form as a conductive paste

This study explored the use of graphite's conductivity for circuit boards by creating a conductive paste through exfoliation with organic solvents and sonication. The combination of acetone and sonication was found to be the most effective, producing a high-conductivity paste with desirable properties such as a low boiling point. While not a replacement for wires, this conductive paste has potential applications in electronics and infrastructure, provided that key engineering challenges are addressed.

Read More...