Author Archives: Tigran Dadalyan
Typical vine or international taste: wine consumers’ dilemma between beliefs and preferences
Although typicality is important to increase the added value of wine products, several winegrowers have started to make wine using blends with higher percentages of non-typical vines. The aim is to produce wine with a more international
The heart’s own acetylcholine important in health and disease
Tissues and organs of our body are under the control of active chemical compounds. Hormons are released from endocrine glands and reach the targets with blood. Transmitters are released from the endings of nerve fibers. If the
Treatment strategy of transcatheter closure in the combination of atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus
Atrial septal defect ( ASD ) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are common congenital heart diseases, and transcatheter closure of each of the isolated defect is now widely accepted as an alternative to surgical closure. However, the
The real life of crab louse
Pubic louse, also known as “crab” louse due to its form, is smaller than the head louse. It can lead to an infestation of the pubis (generally sexually transmitted), and sometimes of the eyelashes, or the body
Nutritional therapy may slow down cirrhosis
One in 400 citizens of western industrialized countries suffers from chronic liver disease or its end-stage, liver cirrhosis. The only definite cure for this is a liver transplant, but the scarcity of organs and required immunosuppression render
Fluorescent carbon dots integrated hydrogels for lung cancer therapy
Cancer is considered as one of the leading cause of death worldwide. Due to the ever changing lifestyle of the modern society, the incidence of cancer is on the rise. Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed
The olfactory system may extract sensory information by summating signals from multiple receptors
We interpret the world around us by means of individual sensory nervous systems, vision, hearing, touch, taste, smell, and balance/movement. These systems transduce the physical world into neural information in the brain through multi-step processes. Generally, one
Theophylline, a drug to treat asthma increases risk of fracture and causes vitamin D deficiency
Incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) of which asthma is the commonest manifestation is growing by leaps and bounds in two most populous countries, India and China due to rapid growth of industrialization and associated rise
Serotonergic drugs in the treatment of symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease showing alterations in neurotransmitters, above all in brain regions responsibles for cognition and emotions. In this disease, an imbalance between neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, GABA, glutamate, noradrenaline and serotonin are included. In brain
Hand disinfectant with activity against all viruses
Across the hospitals worldwide the same procedure can be seen to take place: the doctor or the nurse applies disinfectant (sanitizer) on their hand before examining the patient. In doing so, she or he inactivates bacteria, yeasts
What are data?
Current debates on big data and data-centric research have reignited social and cultural interest in what counts as data, and under which conditions data are transformed into knowledge. I propose a philosophical perspective on these issues that
Chiral organic molecules at work with epoxides: two arms drive the asymmetric transformations
Many organic compounds, including natural aminoacids and sugars, are chiral molecules. They exist in two not superimposable forms, the enantiomers, having identical chemical formulae and bond connections, but likewise our hands, being mirror – images. As in
Botulinum toxin for depression: Does patient appearance matter?
Most people know Botulinum Toxin (Botox®) as “the stuff that people use to make them look younger.” Botulinum toxin is a “neurotoxin” produced by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. When injected in small amounts, it causes weakening
An “appealing” small virus
In 1975 in London , an australian researcher, doctor Yvonne Cossart has detected by immunological procedures a new virus in the serum of a blood donor; the name of the blood pocket was B19 so this virus
Visual information signaling threat gains privileged access to consciousness
At any moment in time we are submerged in an overwhelming amount of visual information. If our brain had to consciously process all the information reaching our eyes, it would take us a lifetime just to read
Genetic differences in elite rugby players and the general population
We have known for many years that genetic variation is important in understanding any physiological trait and contributes substantially to the way people develop. Height for example is estimated as being ~80% determined by genetic variation with
Chemical priming: a way to increase plant protection against stress conditions in the field?
Abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, flooding, heat, cold, freezing, excess light, UV radiation and heavy metal toxicity have a significant impact on plant growth and crop yield worldwide. Climate change continues to exacerbate the detrimental effects
Essential biological pathways modulate many different aspects of cell biology
High throughput screening is the most common way to discover novel drugs as well as new ways in which drugs could act. Screening chemicals for drug discovery has identified a group of molecules which are able to
Help for breastfeeding mothers and babies with shared care
The World Health Organisation and the UK Department of Health advise all mothers to totally breastfeed for the first six months of a baby’s life and to continue to breastfeed along with other foods until the child
Channels in artificial membranes
Proteins come in a variety of shapes and sizes but two major classes exist: soluble proteins and those reside in membranes. 20-30% of all the proteins found in cells are membrane proteins. Many membrane proteins such as
