Stanford University Student Journals
Not a member yet
732 research outputs found
Sort by
How Far Can Humans Safely Travel in Space Beyond Mars While Establishing Reliable Communication?
Full text linkHumanity dreams of traveling beyond Mars, but are we ready for it? The harsh realities of space travel say otherwise. Human space exploration beyond Mars presents significant challenges including technological limitations, physiological risks and communication latency. This review analyzes past space missions and technological advancements necessary for space travel beyond Mars, including reliable communication systems and advanced propulsion technology and radiation shielding. Key findings indicate that further space travel will require advanced spacesuits, powerful propulsion systems and communications systems such as laser communications. Without these innovations, space travel beyond Mars remains beyond our reach. The study highlights the technical, physical, physiological, psychological, and ethical challenges faced in furthering our pursuits in space travel and suggests that with further technological development, humans perhaps will be able to travel to Mars as early as the 2030s. This paper provides an insight into the future of human space exploration and the critical advancements needed to support it.
Key Words: deep space travel, nuclear propulsion, radiation shielding, space communication
Reconsidering Consent on Brain Death Examination
Full text linkBy medical definition, brain death refers to ”the irreversible loss of all functions of the brain” (Goila and Pawar, 2009, 8). Although brain death has been under US legislative approval since 1981, heightened legal disputes and criticism from bioethicists have brought renewed interest in brain death examination (Starr et al., 2024). Some individuals claim that the current protocol for conducting brain death examination has been developed incautiously, driven by an exaggeration of practical benefits without sufficient consideration of ethical implications. In light of these issues, we argue that performing brain death examination without consent is unethical. To support our assertion, we investigate the faulty application of implied consent, potential medical inaccuracies of the procedure, and the need to problematize taking epistemic authority as an absolute judgment. The danger of utilitarian bias and the dead donor rule are analyzed to refute primary rationales for conducting brain death examinations without consent. As a culmination of these findings, we proactively address how consent can be ethically obtained with respect to the affected patient and family. Ultimately, we argue that establishing a policy of consent will ensure that a patient’s autonomy and well-being are protected in an era of rapidly developing medical technology and policy
Effects of Microplastics On Marine Life in Mumbai’s Waters
Full text linkMicroplastics, an emerging class of pollutants, have infiltrated marine environments across the globe, posing significant threats to marine biodiversity and ecosystems. This research focuses on analyzing the effects of microplastics on marine life, with an emphasis on the Mumbai coastal region, which is characterized by high human activity and industrialization. Water samples were collected from multiple key locations along the Mumbai coast—Juhu Beach, Marine Drive, Versova Beach, Colaba, and Sewri Mudflats—to quantify the presence of microplastics and analyze their impact on marine species. The study further investigates how these microplastics affect marine organisms, including fish, plankton, and benthic fauna, and traces how they enter the marine food chain, potentially affecting human health as well
Breaking Down the Breakdown: Biomechanical Contributions Towards ACL Injury
Full text linkInjuries to the lower extremities are among the most common in sports due to the high strain placed on joints during intense movements. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), particularly vulnerable during dynamic motions like jumping or sudden directional changes, is frequently injured in contact sports such as football, basketball, and soccer. This literature review explores biomechanical risk factors contributing to ACL injuries, specifically the impact of playing surfaces (grass vs. turf) and cleat design (stud patterns). The findings suggest that round-stud or turf cleats used on natural grass significantly reduce the likelihood of ACL injury. In addition to biomechanical causes, this paper reviews clinical diagnosis methods such as the Lachman and Anterior Drawer tests, outlines rehabilitation protocols, and discusses long-term implications like joint instability and arthritis. By understanding these biomechanical and clinical factors, athletes and practitioners can implement targeted prevention and treatment strategies. Further research should investigate how sport type, footwear, age, and evolving league rules affect injury risk and recovery
HeLa Cells’ Interaction with Nanoparticles Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide
Full text linkInterest in nanoparticles has grown significantly as concerns of their potential toxicity to human cells and aquatic life have been raised. Harmful impacts of engineered nanoparticles are of great interest as they are used in many common products from pharmaceuticals to sunscreen. Nanoparticles are materials with a diameter less than 100 nanometers, which makes their penetration of cell membranes quick and efficient. This work explored the impacts of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles on living HeLa cells. The goal of the experiment was to determine whether cell mortality would increase with increasing nanoparticle concentration, and if a crucial nanoparticle concentration exists that results in increased cell mortality. Cells were prepared, cultured, subcultured, and analyzed observing strict aseptic technique. After one month of successful HeLa cell replication, ZnO and TiO₂ nanoparticle dispersions were prepared at a range of dilutions and introduced to the HeLa cells. The nanoparticles’ effects on cells were established using hemocytometry to determine cell viability and cell mortality. The results suggest that cell mortality increased monotonically with higher concentrations of TiO₂. In contrast, lower concentrations of ZnO increased cell viability, while increased cell mortality was observed at the higher concentrations of ZnO. Given that results with ZnO were less conclusive, more research is needed to address the impact of ZnO on HeLa cells. Future studies will aid in understanding the implications of nanoparticles on living cells
Efficient Deep Learning for Melanoma Diagnosis on CPU Hardware
Full text linkConvolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are a category of Neural Networks that have grown increasingly prominent in Computer Vision applications such as Image Classification, Image Segmentation, and Object Recognition. Practical uses of CNNs are seen in many academic fields, this study focuses on exploring their applications in Medical Imaging, particularly classifying skin lesions into benign or malignant cases using deep learning techniques to improve diagnostic accuracy. Along with the neural network architecture containing four convolutional layers, the model implements ReLU activation, max-pooling, and batch normalization to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the model. Due to the binary nature of the model\u27s classification, an adaptive average pooling layer, dropout regularization, and a sigmoid activation function were also employed. The training and validation process was done on a dataset consisting of 10600 images of Melanoma, publicly available under the CC0 Domain License on Kaggle. The loss function was calculated using Binary Cross Entropy Loss. This model incorporated data augmentation techniques such as random rotations, flipping, and affine transformations for improved generalization. After 30 epochs, the network achieved 90.69% training accuracy and 91.20% test accuracy, with notable computational efficiency processing approximately 106.7 images per second on CPU hardware. The total runtime of both train and validation was approximately 45 minutes, highlighting its efficiency. The test accuracy was visualized via a confusion matrix, which validated the reliability of its predictions. These results underline the potential of this CNN as an automated clinical decision-support tool for dermatologists in aiding the early and accurate diagnosis of melanoma, proving how powerful deep learning can be in solving complex medical imaging challenges
Reading Trans Resistance and Care in Banana Yoshimoto’s Kitchen
Full text linkBanana Yoshimoto’s Kitchen is the subject of scholarly literature studying domesticity, subjecthood, young adult life, and urban placemaking in contemporary Japan. This paper looks primarily at transgender life making, care, and hybrid resistance and struggle through the character of Eriko. Using the frameworks and critical analysis of transgender Marxist theory, I analyze Eriko’s role in both the domestic sphere and the club where she works, finding that Eriko’s care work makes, shapes, and gives life to queer joy in otherwise bleak capitalist modernity.
Interview with Maria Fernanda (Mafer) Velasquez
Full text linkI’m a sophomore studying Electrical Engineering with a dream of developing sustainable technological solutions that truly matter for Peru—and hopefully expanding to other Latin American countries. My passion lies at the intersection of energy-efficient systems and high-performance computing, where I can design hardware and software architectures that optimize energy consumption without compromising performance
Origin and Identity: The Implications of the Rez Accent
Full text linkThe “rez accent” refers to the accent commonly found within Native communities in North America. A few scholars have explored the prosodic elements of the rez accent or theorized about the causes of its development, without taking into account its contemporary implications on the modern Native American identity. This study analyzes interviews with a collection of tribal members in order to dissect the relationship between the rez accent and cultural identity. Results indicate that modern usage of the rez accent reinforces contemporary Native American identity by acting as a new manifestation of a long-held cultural identity—containing elements of the culture, standing as a symbol of home, and refuting common stigma. Findings further implicate that awareness of the rez accent and its relationship with the rez accent vary by generation. These results denote a shift from narratives of loss surrounding Native rhetoric and suggest a collective shift in public stigma. This article concludes by emphasizing the need for greater research on modern Native American topics and greater modern Native American representation
When Affordability Fails: New York’s Black Exodus and the City It Leaves Behind
Full text linkA growing body of literature examines the increasing unaffordability of New York City and its effects on black residents in a pattern known as “black flight.” One major contributor is the cost of housing, which has risen dramatically in recent years. This article draws a connection between this phenomenon and the history of affordable housing and the demographic shifts that led to it. Starting with a chronology of New York’s public housing including regulatory, policy, and design setbacks, the article then focuses on the racial migration patterns of the last half century and the contributions of gentrification to neighborhood change, examining how these factors gave rise to today’s challenges. Finally, other avenues for affordable housing are weighed as potential approaches for addressing New York’s affordability crisis and retaining longtime residents. Drawing parallels between black flight and the destruction of Seneca Village, this article raises questions about the implications of New York City’s black exodus