With over 3.5 million deaths worldwide – exceeding the death toll of any pandemic in the past two decades – COVID-19 has undeniably left a drastic and lasting impact on the physical, financial, and psychosocial well-being of people all over the world. One specific vulnerable group suffering from the profound impact of COVID-19 is those who have lost a loved one to the virus, and who are thus at a higher risk for developing mental health disorders compounded by the circumstances of isolation and restricted visitation in healthcare settings.
Press Release: Will Proteomics Revolutionise the way we Manage Prostate Cancer Patients?
Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent cancer found in men globally, and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men. Some patients have a more aggressive disease with increased progression and metastasis, while others have a less aggressive disease with slower progression. There have been recent discoveries on the complexity of molecular and genetic factors behind prostate cancer in order to understand the disease mechanisms.
Microneedles: Simplifying the Delivery of High-dose, High-frequency Therapies
Swallowing four different tablets three times a day may not sound like a pleasant experience. Neither does injecting medication every day. A new drug delivery system gives hope to bypass these issues by taking advantage of the skin’s physical and chemical properties, and the mass application is imminent.
Analyzing risk factors using AI – an interview with Dr. Ana M. Wägner
As entire populations around the world slowly reoccupy the streets after months of uncertainty, medical staff face the traces of a still latent pandemic. Months’ worth of diagnoses regarding chronic illnesses have gone unnoticed due to a lack of advancement of the healthcare system to adjust to the digital lifestyle. The Journal of Young Investigators had the privilege to chat with Dr. Ana M. Wägner, here main collaborator in the European project “Watching the Risk Factors (WARIFA)”, which aims to break the virtual barrier in healthcare by providing individualized early risk prediction using AI.
Interview with Dr. Nafisa Jadavji
Dr. Jadavji serves as the chair of the board of directors for the Journal of Young Investigators. Her relationship with JYI, however, spans a decade into the past. As an undergraduate, Dr. Jadavji started off her relationship with JYI in the Research Department as the Associate Editor. From 2004-2008, Dr. Jadavji got promoted from Associate Editor to Research Editor to Senior Research Editor. After graduate school, she returned to JYI through an invite to join the Board of Directors (BoD) in 2011.
Press Release: Harnessing the Microbiomes of Soil Dwelling Creatures
Even with insatiable curiosity driven by experiments and observation, science unfortunately cannot proceed without the support of money. Many of the pharmaceuticals and drugs commonly used today are the products of industry, rather than academia, which plays a small role (Frearson and Wyatt). In the past, industry has been a large producer of antibiotics, but the profits earned by manufacturing costly drugs are negligible, and the industry has since lost significant interest in production (Martens and Demain).
The Role of AI in Modern Chess
Over the past centuries, chess has been a game enjoyed by people of all ages and classes. Being traced as far back as 500 A.D., chess has taken many variations and the rules have changed as it was introduced to various parts of the world. In recent times, artificial intelligence has been playing an ever-greater role in the progression of chess. With such an influence, many have wondered the implications for the game itself. Will AI involvement make chess against humans boring and disinteresting? Is there any point in human play as these supercomputers have far exceeded man’s ability?
A Minimally-Invasive 3D-Printed Microneedle Array Applicator System (μNAAS) for Delivery of Therapeutics to Citrus Leaf Tissue
Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most severe citrus disease in the world, caused by the phloem-restricted bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. It has decimated the previously $9 billion citrus industry in Florida, reducing turnover to $3.28 billion as of 2018. Treatment must reach phloem to be effective, which is extremely challenging. This work reports the design, fabrication, and testing of an innovative, minimally invasive mechanical delivery system that can transport therapeutics to HLB-affected trees. We demonstrate direct delivery to phloem using a 3D-printed microneedle array affixed onto a mechanical applicator to realize the microneedle array applicator system (µNAAS)