Factors behind persistent rural poverty in Armenia

Poverty monitoring through household surveys in the period 1996-2003 did not reveal poverty reduction in rural areas. At the same time poverty reduction in urban areas especially in the capital was significant. This paper attempts to contribute to a better understanding of the factors behind persisting rural poverty in Armenia. Rural poverty in Armenia has been largely stagnant in the context of continuous growth in agriculture as rural farm incomes did not respond to the growing agricultural value-added. Further, negative relative price shocks may have held back agricultural growth significantly below the level of economic growth, thus impeding its potential to reduce rural poverty. Incomes from non-farm employment of rural households failed to increase while the growing state benefits and remittances were insufficient to serve as a safeguard from poverty. We use the data available from household surveys, national statistics as well as expert estimations to examine the factors impeding rural poverty reduction

Genetics of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder — Candidate Genes and Their Implication in the Disease-Associated Molecular Pathomechanisms

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychiatric disorder (DSM-V code: 309.81; ICD-10 codes: F43.1). PTSD is an anxiety disorder developed in a person experiencing, witnessing, or learning about an extreme physically or/and psychologically distressing event. Its incidence and the number of this disease-affected people are threateningly increasing in contemporary society. Therefore, the development of prognostic strategies and novel efficient methods on early diagnostics and treatment of PTSD is currently considered as one of the most important healthcare problems worldwide

Increased levels of circulating Annexin A5 in Familial Mediterranean fever

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Familial Mediterranean fever is a genetic autoinflammatory disease most commonly affecting the ethnic groups originating from around the Mediterranean Sea. Apoptosis plays an important role in down-regulation of the inflammatory response by reducing the lifespan of activated immunocompetent cells. Thus, increased apoptosis may be associated with pathogenesis of familial Mediterranean fever.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the present study we determined the serum levels of apoptotic marker, Annexin A5, in familial Mediterranean fever patients, within an attack and attack-free, in comparison to healthy subjects and assessed the influence of colchicine treatment on this parameter. In addition, in all study subjects serum levels of C-reactive protein and interleukine-1β, and the total leukocyte count were also determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results demonstrated that pathogenesis of familial Mediterranean fever is characterized by the increased levels of circulating Annexin A5, which is higher in patients within the attack and which associate with the increased levels of C-reactive protein and interleukine-1β and total leukocyte count.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results obtained indicate elevated rates of apoptosis of subpopulations of leukocytes involved in autoinflammation and recurrent episodes of fever in familial Mediterranean fever. It was also revealed that regular colchicine treatment sufficiently decreases the rate of apoptosis in familial Mediterranean fever patients by affecting the intensity of autoinflammatory reactions.</p

Alterations in the complement cascade in post-traumatic stress disorder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the present study we assessed the functional state of the major mediator of the immune response, the complement system, in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty one PTSD patients within 13 years from traumatic event and the same number of sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were involved in this study. In the blood serum of the study subjects hemolytic activities of the classical and alternative complement pathways, as well as the activities of the individual complement components have been measured. Correlation analysis between all measured parameters was also performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>According to the results obtained PTSD is characterized by hyperactivation of the complement classical pathway, hypoactivation of the complement alternative pathway and overactivation of the terminal pathway.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results obtained provide further evidence on the involvement of the inflammatory component in pathogenesis of PTSD.</p

Temporal changes of gene expression in health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder

Abstract The molecular events underlying the development, manifestation, and course of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder span from embryonic life to advanced age. However, little is known about the early dynamics of gene expression in these disorders due to their relatively late manifestation. To address this, we conducted a secondary analysis of post-mortem prefrontal cortex datasets using bioinformatics and machine learning techniques to identify differentially expressed gene modules associated with aging and the diseases, determine their time-perturbation points, and assess enrichment with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) genes. Our findings revealed early, mid, and late deregulation of expression of functional gene modules involved in neurodevelopment, plasticity, homeostasis, and immune response. This supports the hypothesis that multiple hits throughout life contribute to disease manifestation rather than a single early-life event. Moreover, the time-perturbed functional gene modules were associated with genetic loci affecting gene expression, highlighting the role of genetic factors in gene expression dynamics and the development of disease phenotypes. Our findings emphasize the importance of investigating time-dependent perturbations in gene expression before the age of onset in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of psychiatric disorders