Randy was given a prescription for an antidepressant. his psychiatrist also gave him a long list of foods to avoid and warned randy that consuming any of the foods while he was on the antidepressant medication could cause dangerously high blood pressure and even death. the list included cheese, smoked sausage, and red wine. which type of antidepressant did the psychiatrist prescribe for randy?

The correct answer is: MAO inhibitors.

MAOI - monoamine oxidase inhibitors are antidepressants that affect the enzyme called monoamine oxidase which normally removes the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine from the brain. As a consequence, neurotransmitter’s activity is increased. MAOIs interact with tyramine, amino acid found in food such as cheese, smoked sausage, and red wine. Tyramin eis normally regulated via MAO. So, when the MAO is inhibited via MAOI, tyramine reaches high levels, causing the blood vessels to narrow and resulting in critically high blood pressure.

picture a world where computers are building made-to-order personalized robotic arms and synthetic organs, drones are circulating above mars! due to the rapid growth of technology, the future has never been more unpredictable, and it presents a huge challenge in education: we are teaching students how to work in a future that we have never been unsure of. it is widely predicted that in eight years’ time, there will be more jobs in the fields of science, mathematics, technology and engineering than in any other discipline. and, as the technology continues to develop, it will soon become clear that addressing social problems will involve more innovative thinking, and analytical and technical knowledge than ever before. undeniably, there are no subjects that encourage innovative and creative thinking, deep thought, problem solving and independence more than the stem subjects. while it is widely commented on that there is a need to reimagine the ways stem subjects are taught in schools by embracing a more interactive and innovative approach to appeal to more students, it should come as no surprise that some of the most reputable educational organizations in the world are already implementing changes to embrace stem. harvard, for example, announced in 2014 that they were increasing their computer science faculty by over 50% and has since introduced computer science as a core subject for all freshmen. the urgency of supporting stem subjects at a young age is becoming more relevant than ever, as adopting a keen interest in the curricula needs to happen early. however, beyond the age issue is one of gender.

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