Author Archives: Tigran Dadalyan
How selenium is incorporated into proteins: structural view of selenocysteine ‘recoding’
Selenium is an essential micronutrient for human health. It is present in proteins as a special amino acid, selenocysteine, which is the so-called 21st amino acid. Selenocysteine resembles serine and cysteine, where the selenium atom (Se) replaces
Cooperative effects and co-crystallization in supramolecular diarylethene self-assembled monolayers
The current “top down” strategy that aims to miniaturize silicon based electronic components will eventually reach a limit. A new approach is necessary in order to develop more powerful, less expensive and more flexible electronic devices. Molecular
Problematic computer use in adolescence
Problematic computer use is the use of computer technology that may be health-endangering and may cause immediate or later negative physical or psychological health outcomes or disturb well-being in users. It covers plenty of areas, for example,
Metabolism and pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma
Tumors are named according to the organ or the tissue whose cells undergo biological derangement causing the loss of the control mechanisms that normally limit cell growth. Therefore, breast tumors derives from the cells of the ducts of
“Observational Medicine” should be replaced by “Real Science”
Are female hormones good or bad? “Can Statins” cause diabetes? What causes a heart attack and how do risk factors cause a clot in the coronary artery? Medical research is expensive and requires thousands of patients to
Urine lipoarabinomannan assays for paediatric tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide with 2 billion people being latently infected and 9 million people diagnosed with active disease every year. Infection with TB is also a major contributor to childhood
How and why do onomatopoeias change? A new perspective about the spatial conceptualization
Have you ever tried to read the cartoon strips without the onomatopoeias? It has been shown that they are fundamental for the comprehension of the text and they also can help us to understand comics in a
Small or big, brain cells don’t like protein gunk that lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s
An interdisiciplinary study by scientists at Trinity College Dublin (TCD, Ireland) have answered a hotly debated question in the neurodegenerative diseases research area: “Which protein aggregate form is the primary pathogenic agent in neurodegenerative diseases – (i) the prefibrillar oligomeric
A complete molecular diagnostic test on a compact disc
A challenge in health diagnosis today involves the rapid analysis of genomic information in tests called molecular diagnostic assays. These tests can analyze a person’s bodily fluids to determine the cause of sickness, and can detect a
Developing a sense of direction
Nervous systems continuously perform computations to create thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of the world. Circuits composed of neurons, which are the specialized cells of the nervous system, execute these calculations. To do so, neurons in a circuit receive input
Kenyan men’s fears about family planning
Despite increases in recent years in the number of women wanting to avoid pregnancy, the use of modern contraceptives in sub-Saharan Africa remains low. For example, in Kenya about three-quarters of married women aged 15–49 want to
Recharged autologous stem cells to combat cartilage defects in osteoarthritic patients
Inflammation is one of the greatest challenges for physicians and researchers working to find new strategies to regenerate patients’ damaged and deteriorated cartilage. Although humans have stem cells which can aid in many tissue repair processes throughout
Arsenic in drinking water and suicide
It is well-known that micro or trace minerals, like arsenic, aluminium, mercury and others are essential for good health. However, in spite of the fact that our body requires a tiny amount of arsenic in order to
Tunicates : Can the study of obscure marine animals shed light on evolution?
Scientists agree that the current biological diversity on earth is the result of evolution: present life forms evolved from their ancestors by progressive modifications. The shape and behavior of an animal or a plant – what scientists
The benefits of epidural analgesia in heart surgery
Epidural analgesia is a common procedure performed by anesthesiologists to relieve pain during childbirth or in surgery. It is performed by inserting a small catheter in a specific area of the spine known as the epidural space,
Whole-cell computational models can predict how genes influence behavior
Since the early 1900’s, scientists have known that cells are composed of multiple components, including small molecules, DNA, RNA, and protein. Over the past fifty years, scientists have systematically measured these individual components and their interactions. Despite
Properties of magnetic nanocomposites for biomedical applications
Polymer nanocomposites have been receiving a lot of attention in the field of biomedical engineering. These composite materials, which consist of a polymer as the matrix and nanoparticles (nano-sized particles) as fillers, offer the opportunity for the
It is time to stop screening all women with mammography based on age alone
The early detection of breast cancer by mammography has been promoted in the Western world for decades, usually for all women 40-70+. Mammography involves an x-ray of the breasts while under compression. While mammography screening was once
Genes are read backwards to restructure our DNA
In English, we read in one direction – from left to right across the page. We need to read words in a certain order, so that the information makes sense to us. In the cells of our
Stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system. Its main symptoms are motor disturbances such as tremors, rigidity and slowing of movements; although patients may also suffer from sleep disorders,
