Author: Mary Lazarian

Two Americans win Medicine Nobel for work on heat and touch

Mary Lazarian
Reuters
Oct 4 2021
By Johan Ahlander and Ludwig Burger
  • Americans Julius and Patapoutian win Nobel medicine prize
  • Discoveries of receptors for temperature, touch recognised
  • Discoveries could pave the way for new pain-killers

STOCKHOLM, Oct 4 (Reuters) – American scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday for the discovery of receptors in the skin that sense temperature and touch and could pave the way for new pain-killers.

Their work, carried out independently, has helped show how humans convert the physical impact from heat or touch into nerve impulses that allow us to "perceive and adapt to the world around us," the Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute said.

"This knowledge is being used to develop treatments for a wide range of disease conditions, including chronic pain."

Patapoutian, who was born in 1967 to Armenian parents in Lebanon and moved to Los Angeles in his youth, learnt of the news from his father as he had been out of contact by phone.

"In science many times it is the things we take for granted that are of high interest," he said of winning the more than century-old prize, which is worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.15 million).

He is credited for finding the celular mechanism and the underlying gene that translates a mechanical force on our skin into an electric nerve signal.

"(For) us being in the field of sense, touch and pain, this was the big elephant in room where we knew they existed, we knew they did something very different," he said.

Patapoutian is a professor at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California, having previously done research at the University of California, San Francisco, and California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.

New York-born Julius, 65, is a Professor at University of California, San Francisco (UCFS), after earlier work at Columbia University, in New York.

His findings were inspired by his fascination for how natural products can be used to probe biological function and he used capsaicin, the molecule that makes chili peppers spicy by simulating a false sensation of heat, to understand the skin's sense of temperature.

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Thomas Perlmann, Secretary of the Nobel Assembly and the Nobel Committee, announces the winners of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian (seen on the screen) during a press conference at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden October 4, 2021. T TT News Agency/Jessica Gow via REUTERS

Julius hopes his work will help identify new strategies for treating chronic pain syndromes.

"We all know there's a real lack of drugs and approaches to treat chronic pain," Julius said in a 2017 video posted on Youtube by UCSF. "I think we need some new insights and new ideas for treating pain, pharmacologically and other ways, and I think our work will contribute to that."

Jan Adams, chief science officer at German drugmaker Gruenenthal GmbH, which markets pain relief skin patches and creams based on the TRPV1 capsaicin receptor discovered by Julius, said his work had "opened up a whole new field of research for new non-opioid pain therapies".

SURPRISE AND SHOCK

Both laureates were caught off guard, according to the committee. Professor Thomas Perlmann, Secretary-General for the Nobel Assembly and the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, described them as "incredibly happy and as far as I could tell very surprised and a little bit shocked."

The prestigious Nobel prizes, for achievements in science, literature and peace, were created and funded in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel. They have been awarded since 1901, with the economics prize first handed out in 1969.

The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, shared in equal parts this year by the two laureates, often lives in the shadow of the Nobels for literature and peace, and their sometimes more widely known recipients.

But medicine has been thrust into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some scientists had suggested those who developed coronavirus vaccines could be rewarded this year or in coming years.

The pandemic continues to haunt the Nobel ceremonies, which are usually full of old-world pomp and glamour. The banquet in Stockholm has been postponed for a second successive year amid lingering worries about the virus and international travel. read more

($1 = 8.7272 Swedish crowns)

Ludwig Burger reported from Frankfurt, Additional reporting Terje Solsvik in Oslo and by Niklas Pollard, Johan Ahlander, Simon Johnson, Supantha Mukherjee and Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm, Editing by Timothy Heritage

Deputy PM Suren Papikyan visits “Nubarashen” penitentiary institution

Mary Lazarian

Deputy PM Suren Papikyan visits “Nubarashen” penitentiary institution

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 19:42, 27 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan visited “Nubarashen” penitentiary institution on September 27. The Deputy PM was accompanied by Justice Minister of Armenia Karen Andreasyan, Head of the Penitentiary Service of the Justice Ministry Sergey Atomyan and MP representing the ‘’Civil Contract’’ Party Trdat Sargsyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Offic eof teh Deputy Prime Minister. 

The Deputy Prime Minister toured the administrative area of "Nubarashen" penitentiary, got acquainted with the place and conditions of the convicts' detention.

He visited the canteen, got acquainted with the menu of the day, as well as got acquainted with the visiting rooms for convicts. Suren Papikyan toured the infrastructure of the penitentiary institution, got acquainted with the building conditions, property and territorial capacities.

During the tour, the possibility of building a new penitentiary institution was discussed, the issues of improving the living conditions and improving the quality of food were touched upon.

Armenia: IC updates Karabakh war casualties

Mary Lazarian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Sept 27 2021

On the part of Armenia, in the Karabakh war that began a year ago, a total of 3781 persons perished; 253 other persons are still listed as missing, the Armenian Investigating Committee (IC) has informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh were conducted from September 27 to November 9, 2020. Armenia lost 3773 persons perished; and other 243 regarded as missing, Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister, said on August 24. Relatives of the missing people have repeatedly demanded from the Armenian government to take measures to find them, and held protest actions – one of them was held on August 27.

Today is one year since the start of the 2020 Karabakh war.

The Armenia's IC has published updated data on the country's losses in the 2020 Karabakh war. According to the IC, as of September 27, 2021, a total of 3781 people perished during the hostilities; other 231 military servicemen and 22 civilians are regarded as missing, the "News-Armenia" has reported today.

The IC has added that by September 27, overall 108 servicemen and civilians had been returned from Azerbaijani captivity, the "News.am" informs.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 27, 2021 at 10:36 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Analysts criticize Armenian authorities' passivity on anniversary of start of last autumn war, Yerevan residents commemorate victims of Karabakh war with torchlight march, Armenia files complaint against Azerbaijan at UN Court.

Author: The Caucasian Knot;

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

Armenian, Jordanian FMs discuss deepening of bilateral relations

Mary Lazarian

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 14:31,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who is in New York to participate in the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Ayman Safadim, the Armenian MFA reports.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Jordan highly assessed the current level of political dialogue between the two states and emphasized the implementation of the agreements reached between the leaders of Armenia and Jordan during King Abdullah II’s visit to Armenia in February 2020. 

The sides discussed issues on further deepening of Armenian-Jordanian multidimensional relations. 

They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and developments taking place in the regions of Middle East and the South Caucasus. 

Ararat Mirzoyan presented to his interlocutor the situation resulting from the provocative actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces against the sovereign territory of Armenia, the issues of repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians held in Azerbaijan. In the context of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Minister Mirzoyan stressed the need for the resumption of the peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

France’s Macron congratulates 30th anniversary of Armenia’s Independence in Armenian

Mary Lazarian

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 10:15,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. President of France Emmanuel Macron congratulated in Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on the 30th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

“Mr. President, Dear Armen,

On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Armenia I address you and the Armenian people my wishes of happiness, prosperity and success.

I appreciate the significant path that the Armenian people have passed 30 years ago since gaining independence to create a modern and democratic state. Thus, overcoming a number of trials, your country managed to strengthen the activity of the institutions.

France and Armenia are connected with unique relations deeply rooted in history. These close and reliable friendly relations continue today as well in all areas. I hope that this connection, which is the wealth of our bilateral relations, will further deepen in different cooperation areas, such as culture, education, healthcare or economy.

France wants to play the role of peace in the region, and it is with this spirit that it stands by Armenia to help overcome the challenges it is facing a year after the bloody Nagorno Karabakh war. In this respect, France will in particular be committed in preserving the cultural and religious heritage of the region, which reflects the uniqueness and richness of the South Caucasus

And finally, we will spare no efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and leading to the stabilization of the situation in the South Caucasus for the benefit of the development and prosperity of the region. This also supposes resumption of dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. As a Co-Chair country, France is ready to provide its support on this matter.

On this symbolic occasion, reaffirming my wishes, please accept the assurances of my highest respect”, the French President said on social media.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian, Nicaraguan FMs highlight boosting political dialogue

Mary Lazarian

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 10:47,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua Denis Moncada in New York on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly.

During the meeting Minister Mirzoyan underscored the readiness of the Armenian side to develop relations with the Central American states, particularly with Nicaragua. In this regard the formation of the relevant legal framework, as well as the promotion of political dialogue was mutually emphasized.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Nicaragua also highlighted the interest of the sides to deepen Armenian-Nicaraguan cooperation in international platforms.

Armenia, Russia achieve positive trade turnover dynamics, says ministry

Mary Lazarian
TASS, Russia
Sept 20 2021
Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Dmitry Volvach noted that Russian deliveries of fuel and energy goods, transport vehicles, food, agricultural stock, chemical products to Armenia and supplies from Armenia to Russia had gone up

YEREVAN, September 20. /TASS/. Armenia and Russia managed to cope with the negative trends in mutual trade related to the coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions in the first half of 2021, and bring trade turnover to positive dynamics, Russian Deputy Economic Development Minister Dmitry Volvach told a forum on Monday.

"As deputy prime ministers of our countries said, we managed to cope with the negative trends in mutual trade, including those related to COVID-19-related restrictions, [we] achieved positive trade turnover dynamics and re-covered the nine-percent decrease in activity in 2020 with a 17% increase," he said.

Russian deliveries of fuel and energy goods, transport vehicles, food, agricultural stock, chemical products to Armenia rose, Deputy Minister noted, adding that supplies from Armenia to Russia also went up.

A Capital Armenian Cafe Arrives in Adams Morgan (Washington, DC)

Mary Lazarian
DC EATER
Sept 16 2021

Yerevan serves unfiltered coffee, traditional gata cake, and meat-filled kufta on 18th Street NW

by Adele Chapin  Sep 15, 2021, 11:32am EDT

D.C.’s Armenian community has a new place to gather over slices of layered honey cake, diamonds of baklava, and cups of unfiltered coffee served with imported dried apricots. Yerevan, a cafe and market named after the capital city of the Eurasian country, opened near the end of August in Adams Morgan.

“The area could use some Armenian food. There was a void and we thought we’d try to fill it.”

The lower-level, gallery-like space at 2204 18th Street NW features big windows and shelves stocked almost entirely with Armenian imports like tea, coffee, honey, and confections such as fruit rolls. A few Mediterranean and Turkish restaurants in town serve some Armenian dishes, but Yerevan owners Stella Grigoryan and Arman Avedisian believe their cafe is the first dedicated solely to Armenian cuisine in D.C. “I’ve been told there was one in Arlington, Virginia. But we have never seen one in the area and as far as we know, it’s the first one,” Grigoryan says. Across the street from Yerevan, Azerbaijani bakery Sharbat sells an intricately decorated honey cake and other dishes from the same region.

Yerevan is the first restaurant for the couple who owns it. They don’t have backgrounds in hospitality and are keeping their full-time day jobs. “The area could use some Armenian food,” Grigoryan says. “There was a void and we thought we’d try to fill it.”

Since they aren’t chefs, the owners decided to work with a few caterers who provide the cafe with fresh pastries and other dishes every day. The cooks connected with Grigoryan via Yerevan’s active Instagram page, which quickly proved to be popular with Armenian expats.

Lahmajun is described on the menu as “Armenian pizza”

 Yerevan

The cafe’s name sets expectations for a menu that reflects traditional recipes from the capital. The Armenian genocide that the Ottoman Empire committed in World War I and the dissolution of the Soviet Union have contributed to a widespread Armenian diaspora.

“It would be arguable to say that we represent authentic Armenian cuisine, just because Armenians are from so many different countries and they make things very differently,” Grigoryan says. “You can even see variations between the regions in Armenia. A lot of people could argue and say, ‘oh, we use more lemon in this, or we use nuts in this, but you don’t have it in your menu,’” she explains.

RELATED

Yerevan offers spring mineral water from Armenia and strong coffee that’s served with a piece of dried fruit Yerevan

Pastries at Yerevan include French treats like Napoleons and Mediterranean sweets like baklava. Grigoryan says the “most authentic” dish on the menu would be a round gata, a semisweet, filled cake that she likens to a bread. “The Armenian pastries are not as sweet as Americans are used to,” Grigoryan says.

Savory dishes include lahmajun, which the menu describes as “Armenian pizza,” with ground meat on a layer of crispy flatbread. Armenian kufta is a stuffed meatball with bulgur and ground meat. Other cultures call it kibbeh.

Yerevan offers an Armenian coffee that is unfiltered with a very finely ground roast and a bit of sugar. The hot drink comes on hand-painted dishes with a piece of dried fruit on the side.

“Armenia is very famous for its apricots because they taste exceptionally good because of the climate,” Grigoryan says. Boxes of that dried fruit are available in the market, along with everything from Armenian-made baby rattles to mountain teas and Armenian cheeses like chanakh, chechil, and lori. A juice made from rose hips is getting a lot of attention from customers so far. “I think that it’s something that people in the area have not seen before or tried before,” she says.

Grigoryan and Avedisian say they had to work hard to find distributors for the marketplace. Once Yerevan’s alcohol license comes through, the owners plan to serve charcuterie boards along with Armenian beer and wine in the cafe. Like its neighbors in the region, Armenia claims an ancient wine culture.

Armenian wine is quite sweet, Grigoryan says, and the country is more known for its cognacs, which will be soon be for sale on Yerevan’s shelves. “If we would open an Armenian cafe and market without serving the Armenian cognac, I don’t think Armenians would appreciate that,” she jokes.

Baklava with walnuts is served on intricately-decorated plates from Armenia Yerevan

Taguhi Tovmasyan: Why don’t we create problems for military-political leadership of Azerbaijan?

Mary Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 14 2021

Lawmaker Taguhi Tovmasyan from the opposition Armenia alliance on Tuesday urged the law enforcement authorities to take action amid worries over the illegal actions committed by Azerbaijani forces.

“We, as a sovereign state, especially the law enforcement agencies, including the Prosecutor General’s Office, have to take specific action here,” Tovmasyan said at a parliament session, adding she had requested the Prosecutor General’s Office to clarify 3 issues.

The MP said that she wanted to find out whether they have identified corpus delicti in the actions of the Azerbaijan military envisaged by the Criminal Code of Armenia, whether any criminal cases have been opened over Azerbaijan’s closure of the Goris-Kapan interstate road and whether there are any defendants involved.

Tovmasyan said that according to the response of the Prosecutor General's Office, several criminal cases have been initiated since May 13 under rather serious articles.

She read out the final part of the detailed response of the Prosecutor General's Office, which says that the preliminary investigation in all cases is underway and there are no accused persons at this point.

“Why are there no defendants involved? Why don't we create problems for the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan? Why do you allow the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan to move freely? Why haven’t they been put on the international wanted list?” she asked.

Sydney: SBS Apologizes to Armenian-Australians for breaching code of practice in report on Artsakh

Mary Lazarian
Sept 13 2021

SYDNEY: SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) has apologised to the Armenian-Australian community after an independent Ombudsman determined that a report aired by the Australian network’s World News program concerning the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War breached its Code of Practice, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).

The three-minute segment in question, which was sourced from Al Jazeera and presented on 3rd July 2021, placed the blame of landmines left in the Azerbaijani-occupied territories of Artsakh squarely on the Armenian side. It failed the fundamental principles of media objectivity and the importance of providing the perspectives of all sides of a conflict, including perspectives from third parties, such as from independent international human rights organisations.

This sparked a strong response by the ANC-AU on behalf of the Armenian-Australian community, which was promptly referred to the SBS Ombudsman for review to determine if a breach had been committed by the multicultural public broadcaster.

SBS Ombudsman, Ms Sally Begbie has responded with her findings, which evaluated the network’s editorial decision to air the story against Code 3.2 (Accuracy) and Code 3.3.1 (Balanced and impartial news and current affairs). She determined the segment was a breach of conduct.

Ms Begbie acknowledged that the statement contained in the report, that landmines were “planted across seven districts of Nagorno Karabakh by soldiers from Armenia over nearly three decades” was inaccurate under the Code [3.2 (Accuracy)] and was “potentially misleading to an Australian news audience that is unlikely to have detailed knowledge of this conflict”.

Ms Begbie continued: “Having set up this inaccuracy, the report also did not meet the Code 3.3.1 (Balance) requirement to provide ‘a balanced and impartial presentation of issues and events, including through the provision of a range of relevant and material viewpoints’.”

The Ombudsman’s response also contained an apology on behalf of SBS, and affirmed that she has requested Director of News and Current Affairs, Ms Mandi Wicks, reminds her editorial team that they must “ensure that the news provisions of the SBS Code of Practice are met even when using material from one of SBS’s broadcast partners”.

ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian, thanked SBS for addressing the complaints raised by Armenian-Australians.

“We thank SBS executives for sending our complaint through the proper channels for independent review, and are encouraged by the Ombudsman’s accurate finding that a breach was made at the expense of the long-suffering indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh,” said Kayserian.

“The Republic of Artsakh was grossly misrepresented in the Australian media during the war, which made the Azerbaijani dictatorship’s subsequent occupation of the self-determined Armenian state even more difficult to deal with by our community.”

“We trust this process, which has been positive, will serve as a reason for the media fraternity to become better informed on the Artsakh conflict and the injustices that continue to be committed against Armenians by the authoritarian leadership of their neo-Ottoman neighbours, Azerbaijan and Turkey, who appear to be determined to resurrect the genocidal ideology of Pan-Turkism today,” Kayserian added.

The Armenian National Committee of Australia thanked those community members who brought this issue to attention. To report future impartial segments broadcasted by Australian media outlets, please click here.

Please click here for further information on the ANC-AU’s complaint addressed to the head of Australia's Special Broadcasting Service George Savvides and SBS Managing Director James Taylor.

http://www.anc.org.au/news/Media-Releases/SBS-Apologises-to-Armenian-Australians-for-Breaching-Code-of-Practice-in-Report-on-Artsakh