Open fire ovens and effects of in-home lavash bread baking on carbon monoxide exposure and carboxyhemoglobin levels among women in rural Armenia.

Lavash is a traditional flatbread commonly baked at home by women in Armenia and other Middle Eastern and Caucasus countries. The baking process follows centuries' old recipes and is done primarily in open fire ovens. Data are limited regarding the impact of baking on indoor air quality and health outcomes.

Neonatal thyrotropin (TSH) screening as a tool for monitoring iodine nutrition in Armenia.

Background: Neonatal thyrotropin (TSH) is influenced not only by the infant's own thyroid function, but also by maternal thyroid status, and can thus provide a general index of thyroid health in the community.

Methods: In 2012, the Republic of Armenia implemented a program of universal neonatal hypothyroidism screening by means of measuring the serum TSH level. The Arabkir Medical Center in Yerevan, Armenia, has maintained records of neonatal TSH screening data comprising nearly 100% of all births in Armenia from 2012 through 2016.

Cryoglobulins as potential triggers of inflammation in schizophrenia.

This case study aimed to investigate effects of type III cryoglobulins isolated from the blood of patients with schizophrenia on the production of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin(IL)-1 β , IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α ), anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and chemotactic cytokines IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The experiments were performed in vitro using PBMCs healthy subjects and the blood of patients whit schizoprenia. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay were used upon study.

Reduced levels of SCD1 accentuate palmitate-induced stress in insulin-producing β-cells.

Background: Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is an ER resident enzyme introducing a double-bond in saturated fatty acids. Global knockout of SCD1 in mouse increases fatty acid oxidation and insulin sensitivity which makes the animal resistant to diet-induced obesity. Inhibition of SCD1 has therefore been proposed as a potential therapy of the metabolic syndrome.

Palmitate-induced changes in protein expression of insulin secreting INS-1E cells.

Elevated blood levels of glucose and lipids in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus have been observed to cause impairment of insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells. Chronic exposure to either of the circulating fatty acid oleate or palmitate has different effects on the beta-cell. Whereas palmitate causes functional impairment of the beta-cell and apoptosis, oleate has only minor negative effects on beta-cell function and mass.