Author Archives: Tigran Dadalyan
Can hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases be caused by Dark-Matter-like RNAs?
Hypertension is a common but one of the most important health problems, because it is a major risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension is a multi-factorial disease involving complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. To treat
Muscle stem cells fail to become activated in Pompe disease and do not repair the accumulating muscle damage
Skeletal muscle is the largest organ of the body and is responsible not only for movement , breathing and posture, but is also important in regulating body temperature. It is not surprising that defects in muscle function
Probing how alcohol affects the structure of water
Water, despite its ubiquity, is an extraordinarily complex substance. The structure of water on a molecular level is defined by the interactions, “hydrogen bonds”, that individual molecules have with each other. These are the reason that upon
Computer analysis of calcium cyclings of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes
As any organ, the heart of an individual is built of an innumerable number of cells called cardiomyocytes. Traditionally our understanding of human cardiac cells is based on animal studies, but with the aid of new stem
Limitations in nanoelectronics: current and temperature effects
Electrical cables are commonly used in our daily life. Typically they have metallic core covered with isolation. For example, one uses this wire to connect a lamp to a battery. When connected, electrons (negative elementary electric charges)
How does presenting ourselves on Facebook influence our sense of self?
Social media have become an integral part of many people’s lives, but what influence would they bring? One area in which social media such as Facebook may have an impact is users’ sense of self. Facebook allows
Amniotic membranes in ophthalmology
The amniotic membrane (AM) is the inner layer of the fetal membranes and is comprised of 3 distinct layers; epithelium, basement membrane and stroma, the innermost layer that further consists of an inner compact layer, middle fibroblast
Silencing suppressor proteins shape virus-host co-evolution
Plant viruses are amongst the most important pathogens causing huge economic losses worldwide by reducing crop quality and quantity. A better understanding of the viral infection processes and plant defense strategies is important for crop improvement. During
L-amino acids, key for the evolution of life came from extraterrestrial space?
All proteins, which are functional molecules of living creatures are made by combining 20 kinds of amino acids. Except one amino acid, each amino acid has two forms (isomer) named D (dexer meaning right) and L (meaning
The cellular advantage of using a macrolide for community-acquired pneumonia
Community-acquired pneumonia has been one of the top ten causes of death in the US over the last 60 years despite the widespread use of antimicrobials. National guidelines (at idsociety.org) recommend two primary antibiotic regimens – one
New materials challenge well-established theory of crystal growth
The classical theory of crystal growth was established over a century ago and is still used today to describe the formation of crystals with highly symmetrical shapes. This theory explains that crystals start as a single seed
Bioresorbable Mg implants modified by nanostructured merwinite/PEO coating for hard tissue repairs
Metallic biomaterials for example stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt – based alloys are using as permanent bone implant materials for orthopedic applications. However, they have some problems : 1 ) the difference between the mechanical properties of
The surgeon general should say that indoor tanning causes skin cancer
It is a widely accepted fact that smoking causes lung cancer. This dates back to 1964, when the Surgeon General’s report clearly acknowledged this link. Fifty years later, the Acting Surgeon General, Dr. Lushniak, was asked to
The potential of chitosan in prevention and treatment of age-related diseases
According to the recent report of The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat the number of elderly (aged 60 years or over) is expected to increase from 841 million people in 2013
Does the tail wag the dog? How the structure of a protein’s “tail” affects its function
Many proteins are attached to cell membranes by a glyco-lipid “tail” known as a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. It is becoming apparent that differences in the composition of these GPIs have profound influences upon protein structure, trafficking and
Accurate genomic evaluation of small dairy cattle populations
Nearly all traits of economic interest, such as milk production of dairy cows, are “quantitative.” These traits are determined by a large number of genes and are also affected by environmental factors. Until 2010, breeding of dairy
Antibodies at your pipette tips
Antibodies are essential in our immune system to fight against all sorts of diseases that we could encounter every day. The technological developments over the decade has allowed scientist to isolate target or disease-specific antibodies in the
Modulating drug release from Polyox matrix tablets: influence of Polyox molecular weight, drug solubility and vitamin E
Polyethylene oxide (polyox) has been extensively used as a controlled release excipient to modulate drug release from solid hydrophilic matrix preparations. The attraction of polyox as a polymer matrix is due to its high swelling ability, compressibility
Beethoven’s autopsy revisited: a pathologist sounds a final note
Ludwig van Beethoven had multiple medical problems besides deafness for most of his life, and his illnesses are believed to have profoundly influenced his music. Beethoven himself also thought these physical ailments were responsible for his self-acknowledged
The H5N2 avian epidemic: prognosis of the next influenza outbreak
Influenza is a viral infectious disease that afflicts millions of people every year with fatalities of thousands; sometimes significantly more when it emerges in a pandemic form. The Spanish Flu of 1918 was probably the most severe
