The kynurenine pathway as a therapeutic target in cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders

Understanding the neurochemical basis for cognitive function is one of the major goals of neuroscience, with a potential impact on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. In this review, the focus will be on a biochemical pathway that remains under-recognised in its implications for brain function, even though it can be responsible for moderating the activity of two neurotransmitters fundamentally involved in cognition – glutamate and acetylcholine. Since this pathway – the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism - is induced by immunological activation and stress it also stands in an unique position to mediate the effects of environmental factors on cognition and behaviour. Targetting the pathway for new drug development could, therefore, be of value not only for the treatment of existing psychiatric conditions, but also for preventing the development of cognitive disorders in response to environmental pressures

FACTORS AFFECTING MIGRATION FROM THE CROATIAN RURAL AREA

U radu se daju rezultati istraživanja migracija u seoskom području Republike Hrvatske. Cilj je istražiti čimbenike koji utječu na iseljavanje seoskog stanovništva Republike Hrvatske. Istraživanje je provedeno 2007. godine na uzorku od 914 ispitanika dobi od 24 do 45 godina u seoskom području Republike Hrvatske. Odabir naselja i ispitanika bio je slučajan. Provedeno istraživanje pokazuje da su najveće poteškoće života u hrvatskom seoskom području gospodarske naravi, manjak zaposlenja, slaba mogućnost izbora zanimanja i niža zarada u odnosu na zaposlenje u gradu. Petina ispitanika nije zadovoljna uvjetima seoskog života i namjerava se iseliti. To je zabrinjavajući pokazatelj budući da se radi o populaciji koja je u pravilu završila proces obrazovanja i većinom osnovala obitelj. Najviše mogućih iseljenika, što je bilo i za očekivati, je iz gospodarski nerazvijenih područja Republike Hrvatske. Daljnja depopulacija hrvatskog sela bila bi pogubna, a njene najveće posljedice bile bi: prevelika urbanizacija, posebice velikih gradova, daljnji neravnomjerni razvitak Republike Hrvatske te nedovoljno iskorištenje prostornog, proizvodnog i ljudskog potencijala. S obzirom na strateški cilj ulaska Republike Hrvatske u Europsku uniju, navedeno predstavlja bitno ograničenje njene uspješne prilagodbe europskoj ekonomskoj integraciji. Iseljavanje seoskog pučanstva može se spriječiti prvenstveno povećanjem zaposlenosti i dohotka te stvaranjem takve fizičke i društvene infrastrukture u seoskom području koja će bitno poboljšati životne uvjete seoskog pučanstva. Seoska područja, poglavito gospodarski nerazvijena, nemaju dovoljno vlastitih mogućnosti za ubrzanje razvoja odnosno za nužno smanjivanje razlika u kakvoći življenja prema gradskim područjima. Zbog toga je nužno da njihov razvojni proces više nego dosada potpomogne Država osmišljenim mjerama regionalnog razvoja, uz svekoliku potporu lokalne uprave i samouprave. U tome bi svoj znatan obol trebalo dati novo-osnovano Ministarstvo za regionalni razvoj.The paper presents results of the research study on migrations in rural areas of the Republic of Croatia. The aim was to determine factors influencing migrations of rural population in Croatia. The research was carried out in 2007 on 914 respondents from 25 to 45 years of age. The rural communities and respondents were selected on a random basis. The study results indicate that the major difficulties in rural life in Croatia are of economic nature: lack of employment opportunities, inadequate choice of profession and lower income in comparison with employment in urban areas. One fifth of the respondents is not satisfied with conditions of rural life and intends to leave villages. This is a very disturbing indicator, since it refers to population, which in general, has finished education and started a family. As we expect, the largest number of potential migrants comes from economically underdeveloped Croatian areas. Further depopulation of Croatian villages would have dramatic effects, and the worst consequences would be excessive urbanization, especially of large cities, further uneven development of the Republic of Croatia, and insufficient utilization of spatial, production and human resources. Since the strategic Croatian goal is to become a member of the European Union, this is a major obstacle to its successful adjustment to the European economic integration. The migration of rural population could be prevented primarily by increase in employment and income opportunities and creation of such physical and social infrastructure in rural areas that would considerably improve living conditions for rural population. The rural areas, particularly underdeveloped, have no adequate capacities for intensification of its development and diminishing differences in their quality of life compared to urban areas. Thus, the state support is increasingly required by introducing measures of regional development with complementary support of the local government. The newly founded Ministry of Regional Development is therefore inevitable in this process