COVID-19 was a globalized pandemic and its impacts have affected most countries in a profound way. Not only were the healthcare systems thrown into chaos and lockdown have put many lives in pause but the economic impacts were strenuous as well. Although the economies of several countries were hurt similarly, the United States and China have a disparity between them. Prior to understanding the gaps between the economic states of these two countries, it is imperative to understand each of them in turn.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common autosomal recessive disorder that affects Caucasians. It is caused by a mutation of the expression of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which has over 2,500 noted variants, spawning irregular chloride channels in mucus and sweat-producing cells. The disease causes damage to the respiratory system and GI tract until the organs fail to function by causing thick mucus to build up in the lungs and pancreas. As the chronic disease currently has no cure, people with this condition can generally live normal lives, as many tools and techniques can be used to manage this complex condition. However, this does not mean that patients live perfectly healthy lives, as they still experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and coughing. This review article summarises the pathology and pathomechanism of the disease, what it is on a genetic expression level, and emerging therapies.

Among evolutionary problems, eukaryogenesis is one of the most interesting, with many published theories proposing different evolutionary transition states in an effort to explain how it may have occurred in a way that aligns with current empirical evidence 1. Among the most detailed and well known theories is the Hydrogen Hypothesis, first published in 1998, updated in 2015 and in the meantime popularised in the public conscience in no small part by Nick Lane’s 2005 book Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life. While the Hydrogen Hypothesis played a significant part in popularising symbiogenetic theories for eukaryogenesis, it is not the only such theory out there.

"The Genetics of Races" unveils a future teeming with promise — a future where scientific advancements unlock doors to prevention, treatment, and discovery. It beckons society to embrace the great humanitarian benefits that lie within our grasp, while advocating for responsible and ethical practices that safeguard against misuse. As you reach the final pages of this intellectual odyssey, a sense of purpose will infuse your being. The author's voice will reverberate within you, urging you to face the future with courage and conviction.

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that results from the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas. This destruction is caused by T cells and leads to insulin deficiency (Chen et al.). Insulin regulates blood glucose levels by facilitating the uptake of blood sugar into cells, which the cells can then use for energy. Without insulin, sugar builds up in the bloodstream, leading to hyperglycemia (CDC). Two HLA genes involved in antigen presentation, DR3 and DR4-DQ8, as well as around 60 non-HLA genes, are associated with the development of T1D (DiMeglio et al.); HLA genes code for surface proteins that are used to identify body cells and foreign cells (Nordquist and Radia). Also, viral infections, including enterovirus infections, might be linked to the development of T1D (DiMeglio et al.).

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Spider silks demonstrate extraordinary mechanical performance. They rely on an intricate hierarchical structure that gives rise to unique properties. Of the many types of spider silks that are produced, dragline spider silk has attracted the most research attention due its extremely high strength. Since data on dragline spider silk is readily available, much can be understood about the nature of spider silk by analyzing the structure of dragline spider silk. Moreover, the study of spider silk can inspire the design of new materials. Here, we review the structure of dragline silk, present a particular material model to explain their behavior, and discuss the potential outlook in the area.

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The liver is no doubt one of the most vital organs of the human body. With ranged roles in digestion, energy, and protein synthesis, liver cells house a network of metabolic pathways that are crucial for survival. From the citric acid cycle, urea cycle, glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, lipogenesis, and ketone body synthesis, reaching out to GABA and myelin formation in the brain, we see a chemical interconnectedness which makes the liver the most metabolically active organ in the body. However, that same nature of metabolism – the reliance of one pathway to another – is perhaps what also makes our body so vulnerable to the smallest anomaly in the system. One such case revolves around an enzyme named pyruvate carboxylase.

KDM5B, a histone lysine demethylase “eraser” protein, is a transcriptional repressor of active promoter regions on histone three lysine K4. KDM5B is crucial to regulating gene expression and development. Previously, all mutations in KDM5B were described in cancer. High-performance sequencing revealed missense, frameshift, and nonsense mutations in KDM5B that can be linked to developmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review summarizes KDM5B’s role in ASD and other developmental disorders.

There are many genes that have been identified to cause Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD for short), as well as all the other disorders related to it One such gene is the chromatin remodeler CHD8 and methyltransferase KMT2A, the former of which is known to cause intellectual disability (ID) and the latter to cause Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome. Is there any mechanistical link between the two genes, and does this mean that CHD8 also causes Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome? It appears that there is, and that it also points at a larger pattern for other similarly linked genes, and could help with identifying other genes that cause known disorders – for instance, perhaps useful in finding new genes that may also cause ASD.

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This paper provides an overview of various antidepressants, which are often used to treat depression. Depression is a prevalent mental disorder characterised by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable and rewarding activities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that depression affects approximately 3.8% of the population, which is equivalent to approximately 300 million people globally. Depression is caused by biological, genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors. The conventional treatments include therapeutic and social support for mild depression and pharmacological interventions for moderate to severe instances, primarily involving antidepressants such as SSRIs and SNRIs. SSRIs and SNRIs target neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine to alleviate depressive symptoms. However, these antidepressants have potential side effects such as cardiovascular issues, gasastrointestinal problems, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, and increased suicidal thoughts. Despite all these side effects, antidepressants remain a crucial tool to combat depression.

Does physical exercise (PE) increase cognitive ability? A person's cognitive ability is linked with their ability to perform mental tasks associated with problem solving and learning (Kiely, 2014). Since cognitive performance is related to memory, many also question if memory related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Dementia could be prevented or treated if there was a way to increase a person’s cognitive ability. Therefore, for decades humans have been trying to figure out ways to improve our cognitive performance and abilities. Humans have been trying to understand how the brain works for centuries, with behavioural neuroscience studies taking form even during the 1700 BC(Columbia University, 2014). Because of my own personal experiences, myself being a professional athlete I have always contemplated if PE would have a positive impact on cognitive ability. Therefore, I set out to perform a meta-analysis on whether or not PE has any impact on a person’s cognitive abilities and what special requirements must be met for PE to influence cognitive ability. For example, if aerobic exercise like running would have the same effect as anaerobic exercise such as stretching. If it is shown that PE improves cognitive abilities, exercise can be a great method of prevention and rehabilitation for people with deteriorating cognitive abilities.

Art is one of the most ancient forms of human communication. It is a powerful tool for conveying emotions and information. Over the recent decade, the rapid growth adaptation of AI has resulted in the increased interest in its applications across a number of areas, including visual arts. Likewise, the black-box nature of many AI models has developed the need for their transparency, which generated the field of explainable AI (XAI). Previous research has examined visual arts perception and developed methods to predict emotions evoked by art. To our knowledge, no system exists that utilizes methods to make art emotion classification models interpretable. This work proposes a method to make AI emotion classification systems for art more explainable and compare AI’s perception to that of humans.

Wastewater treatment plants play an important role in maintaining the health of ecosystems and ensuring the economic, social, and political soundness of communities. However, current wastewater treatment methods are economically and environmentally unsustainable. Aquatic plant restoration has been receiving attention because of its high efficiency and eco-friendliness compared to previous methods. Three types of aquatic plants: duckweed and hornworts were tested for their effects in removing constitutes and reducing the number of bacteria colonies in a wastewater source, over the course of 7 days. The results show that all three aquatic plants were capable of recovering and removing bacteria in water. Duckweed, however, was the most effective of all three plants. A 3D digital model of a duckweed based wastewater treatment plant was devised to showcase how duckweed could be incorporated into full-scale water treatment systems. The uptake of aquatic-plant based wastewater treatment systems has been slow. The conducted research adds to the advantages and the feasibility of full-scale aquatic-plant based wastewater systems.