Author Archives: Tigran Dadalyan
Risk factors for psychotic major depression
Risk factors are attributes, characteristics, or experience that increase the likelihood of developing an illness or disorder. An understanding of the risk factors involved in mental disorders may inform the development of more effective treatments or even
Antidepressants associated with falls in Parkinson’s patients
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects mobility and is commonly characterized, in advanced stages of the disease, by instability and falls. Falls are a major reason for hospitalization in Parkinson’s patients and may lead
Exciting new research development in the treatment of obesity
Obesity is a major problem in the United States. In fact, it is a worldwide epidemic. One third of the US population is overweight. Another third is Obese. The definition of obesity is a Body Mass Index
A natural compound called rutin may shade light on diabetes therapy
Diabetes and its major risk factor, obesity, have become a world-wide epidemic and cause of suffering for millions of people. There is still no drug of cure for diabetes and the currently available drugs suffer from a
Climate scepticism in Australia
Much has been written about ‘climate scepticism’, especially in the United States. Far less attention has been paid to Australia, despite the fact that climate change has emerged as a central issue for Australian politics and science.
Doc, I think I just bruised my elbow. Do I really need to wait for x-rays?
You’re late for work. You grab your bag and rush out the door. After catching the tip of your shoe on the step, you crash to the ground. Your right elbow — and your mug of coffee
Sir Richard Owen and the sanitary reform in Victorian Lancaster
The Royal Society of Biology recently unveiled ten blue plaques across the United Kingdom to commemorate the renowned and sometimes uncelebrated champions of biology. This included a ceremony in honour of Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892) on the
The origin and evolution of fertility-linked signals in bees
Bees, ants and wasps comprise a biological group named Hymenoptera. In the species of this group, various levels of social organization can be found – from solitary individuals to highly complex social societies. An important characteristic of
Is HDL cholesterol always good for you? Surprises, overturns and promises
According to the World Health Organization, coronary heart disease is a major cause of death worldwide. In 2008, 17.3 million people died from heart disease, and this number is expected to rise further, reaching an estimated of
Loneliness matters for people with psychotic disorders
When you ask people with a psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia, what challenges them most in daily life they are likely to say – ‘loneliness’. As nearly everyone can attest, loneliness is painful. It’s the distressing feeling that
The future of clinical research: developing new drugs faster using electronic health records
Innovative medicines can prevent, cure, slow or alter the evolution of diseases, and bring real value to patients. Despite increased investments in research and development, fewer medicines are being brought to market due to the increasing complexity
Dispersion of particle emissions from quarries in complex terrain
Quarrying and surface mining operations are area sources of dust (suspended particles) that may cause considerable air pollution. Such sources, by their nature, are characterized by lack of detailed information about the location of the mobile mining
Neonicotinoid insecticides in the honey bee and bee products from hives in central Saskatchewan
There have been a lot of news reports regarding the neonicotinoid insecticides, (NIs) their use and the effects that these may have on the European Honey Bee, (Apis Melifera). The prairies of Canada is one of the
Eye movements: a window to the brain of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
In this paper we examined the accuracy and characteristics of eye movements in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and compared these to healthy, typically developing children. FASD may occur when a mother drinks alcohol during
Do you know that some legume species have great isoflavone contents?
Different plant species are often indicated as natural sources of healthy components, such as the well-known phenolic compounds. However, considering the great variety of plant species, as also the diversity of their compounds, the true potential of
Fertility of Drosophila offspring depends on the correct choice of bridegroom
The cause of offspring sterility of some pairs of Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies is the genetic incompatibility of the parents. The infertility of progeny (mainly of intraspecies hybrid daughters) in such cases occurs only in one cross-direction.
Streamlined construction of a natural product framework
Nature makes biologically active organic molecules bearing complex polycyclic frameworks equipped with functional groups so efficiently from simple starting materials. For example, arylnaphthalide lignan natural products derived from plants, such as diphyllin, justicidin A, taiwanin E, and
Migraine, lifestyle, childhood
Migraine is one of the most frequently reported somatic complaints in childhood, with a negative impact on health-related quality of life. Headaches in childhood are subtended by primary headache syndromes with a significant negative impact on the
Headache is the third leading cause of disability in the world
Three years ago, the medical journal Lancet published the third Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study (GBD 2010). We wrote then of the political significance, and promise, of this report for people with headache. Migraine, an under-recognised,
What role do medications play in changes in sexual activity after a heart problem?
Heart disease affects millions of people worldwide. While advances in medical treatment have allowed many with heart disease to live longer, healthier lives, changes in quality of life often occur. This is particularly true for sexual activity,
