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Glucose-to-fructose isomerization is the key process in the reaction sequence that can lead to the total conversion of biomass into valuable fine chemicals. However, it is challenging to find an...

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a serious and potentially deadly disease with an incidence rate of 36.1 per 100 000 population in the EU/EEA as of 25 March [Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: increased transmission in the EU/EEA and the UK – seventh update Rapid Risk Assessment, ECDC, 15.03.2020]. More than 80 000 new cases are reported worldwide each day [Situation update worldwide, as of 19 April 2020, ECDC, 19.04.2020]. Early diagnosis and isolation of the infected people will play an important role in stopping the further escalation of this pandemic. At the moment, application of nasopharyngeal swabs is the most common method for specimen collection. However, this method requires qualified personnel to collect the specimen, thus exposing the medical stuff to a higher risk of infection, and shortages of swabs are frequently reported. Due to these factors, the nasopharyngeal swab collection method is causing financial and logistic burden on healthcare systems. Additionally, nasopharyngeal specimen collection method causes serious discomfort to the patients. Besides, there are several contraindications, such as coagulopathy or anticoagulant therapy and significant nasal septum deviation. Clearly, there is a need for a simple, less invasive method that also reduces the risk to healthcare personnel. One candidate for specimen collection is saliva. Several scientific papers have been published on the possible use of saliva as a specimen for COVID-19 diagnosis. However, until now no systematic review or meta-analysis have been conducted to estimate the true potentials of saliva for COVID-19 diagnosis. Our aim is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the available relevant literature in order to estimate the reliability and consistency of saliva specimens for COVID-19 diagnostics.

Background: Radioresistance remains a significant obstacle in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). The mechanisms underlying the radioresistance in PCa remained to be further investigated. Methods: GSE53902 dataset was used in this study to identify radioresistance-related mRNAs. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed based on STRING analysis. DAVID system was used to predict the potential roles of radioresistance-related mRNAs. Results: We screened and re-annotated the GSE53902 dataset to identify radioresistance-related mRNAs. A total of 445 up-regulated and 1036 down-regulated mRNAs were identified in radioresistance PCa cells. Three key PPI networks consisting of 81 proteins were further constructed in PCa. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that these genes were involved in regulating MAP kinase activity, response to hypoxia, regulation of the apoptotic process, mitotic nuclear division, and regulation of mRNA stability. Moreover, we observed that radioresistance-related mRNAs, such as PRC1, RAD54L, PIK3R3, ASB2, FBXO32, LPAR1, RNF14, and UBA7, were dysregulated and correlated to the survival time in PCa. Conclusion: We thought this study would be useful to understand the mechanisms underlying radioresistance of PCa and identify novel prognostic markers for PCa.

Additional file 1 Graphical output from Copas analysis of 8 RCTs (A) and 8 ecological studies (B) (a): Funnel plot; (b): contour plot; (c): treatment effect plot; (d): P-value plot.

Many nature reserves and protected areas are found in the Southern Transdanubian Region (SW Hungary) and they partly belong to the operational area of the Duna-Dráva National Park (DDNP). In the current paper we review the potential geohazards that may affect the area. Our results indicate that the predominant geohazards include large riverine floods on the alluvial plains, while a high-degree of vulnerability is generated owing to the high relief. High relief may trigger intense runoff following intense rainfall events and downpours, where consequences, such as flash floods, mass movements and soil erosion may result in various disasters and catastrophes. Nonetheless, since the definition of catastrophes is human-oriented, the direct consequences of disasters may act as positive and beneficial processes in uninhabited natural environments. Beaucoup de réserves naturelles et de zones protégées sont répertoriées dans la région de Transdanubie méridionale (sud-ouest de la Hongrie), dont une partie appartient au Parc National Duna-Dráva (DDNP). Cet article présente une étude des risques géomorphologiques potentiels pouvant affecter cette région. Les résultats montrent que les grandes crues fluviales dans les plaines alluviales représentent les principaux risques impactant la Transdanubie méridionale, risques aggravés par un haut degré de vulnérabilité généré par d’importants reliefs et de fortes pentes. Ces forts ruissellements, faisant suite à des événements météorologiques intenses, provoquent les inondations brutales et soudaines, des mouvements de masse et l’érosion du sol pouvant entraîner de nombreuses catastrophes. Néanmoins, bien que la notion de catastrophe soit lié à la vulnérabilité des sociétés humaines, les conséquences directes de ces évènements revêtent un caractère bénéfique au fonctionnement des milieux naturels de cette région de Hongrie, faiblement peuplés voire inhabités. A Dél-Dunántúlon változatot természeti környezetében számos védett terület található, amelyek egyrészt a DDNP igazgatóságához tartoznak, másrészt egyéb védettséget élveznek. Cikkünkben áttekintettük a védett területeket érintő természeti veszélyeket és megállapítottuk, hogy ezek közül a sík területeken futó folyóink áradásai okozzák a legnagyobb károkat. A hegységi és dombsági felszíneken a nagy relatív relief és az ebből következő hirtelen lefolyás (hirtelen áradás), a csuszamlások, valamint a talajerzió a sérülékenység fő okai. A természeti veszélyforrásokat a védett területeken természeti folyamatként értelmezhetjük, amely az élővilág megújulását is elősegítheti.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), is a potential factor to enhance osseointegration of dental implants. However, the appropriate cellular system to investigate the osteogenic effect of BMP-2 in vitro in a standardized manner still needs to be defined. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of BMP-2 on the cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human osteogenic progenitors of various origins: dental pulp stem cells (DPSC), human osteosarcoma cell line (Saos-2) and human embryonic palatal mesenchymal cell line (HEPM). For induction of osteogenic differentiation, cell culture medium was supplemented with BMP-2 homodimer alone or in combination with conventionally used differentiation inducing agents. Differentiation was monitored for 6-18 days. To assess differentiation, proliferation rate, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposition and the expression level of osteogenic differentiation marker genes (Runx2, BMP-2) were measured. BMP-2 inhibited cell proliferation in a concentration and time-dependent manner. In a concentration which caused maximal cell proliferation, BMP-2 did not induce osteogenic differentiation in any of the tested systems. However, it had a synergistic effect with the osteoinductive medium in both DPSC and Saos-2, but not in HEPM cells. We also found that the differentiation process was faster in Saos-2 than in DPSCs. Osteogenic differentiation could not be induced in the osteoblast progenitor HEPM cells. Our data suggest that in a concentration that inhibits proliferation the differentiation inducing effect of BMP-2 is evident only in the presence of permissive osteoinductive components. β-glycerophosphate, was identified interacting with BMP-2 in a synergistic manner.

Supplemental Material, Supplementary_data_R for Direct Anticoagulants and Risk of Myocardial Infarction, a Multiple Treatment Network Meta-Analysis by Péter Kupó, Zsolt Szakács, Margit Solymár, Tamás Habon, László Czopf, Lidia Hategan, Beáta Csányi, János Borbás, Annamária Tringer, Gábor Varga, Márta Balaskó, Róbert Sepp, Péter Hegyi, Alexandra Bálint and András Komócsi in Angiology

Munkánk során humán bölcsességfog pulpájából izoláltunk őssejteket. A pulpából származó heterogén sejtpopulációból ezeket az őssejteket fluoreszcensen vagy mágnesesen jelölt, valamilyen őssejt specifikus sejtfelszíni marker ellen termeltetett ellenanyaggal lehet kiválogatni. Munkánk célja az volt, hogy a fluoreszcens (fluorescent activated cell sorting – FACS) és a mágneses (magnetic activated cell sorting – MACS) sejtszeparálást összehasonlítsuk hatékonyságuk és a sejtekre gyakorolt hatásaik alapján. Eredményeink azt mutatták, hogy a válogatás hatékonysága hasonló (MACS 79,53 ± 5,78%, FACS 88,27 ± 3,70%) mindkét általunk használt módszer esetén, a MACS azonban sokkal kíméletesebbnek bizonyult, az abból származó sejtpopulációk gyorsabban növekedtek.

The term impulsivity refers to actions that are risky and lack careful planning. Impulsivity is one of the basic factors of human behavior, a psychological phenomenon which is incorporated in numerous theories of personality, and can play a determining role in many areas of life. Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct, different aspects of which can be assessed by different measures. Questionnaire measures are suitable for assessing trait impulsivity. One of the most widely used questionnaires of impulsivity is the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale.

1. It is now well established that cholecystokinin (CCK) has a major physiological role in the regulation of pancreatic secretion and gastro-intestinal (GI) motility. Both these actions are mediated by stimulation of CCK(A)-receptors located on pancreatic acini and GI smooth muscle cells. While chronic administration of CCK-like peptides invariably causes pancreatic hypertrophy and hyperplasia, their action on gastric growth remains controversial. 2. In the present investigation the action of exogenous and endogenous CCK on both pancreatic and gastric growth was studied in the same animal. In addition, the ability of dexloxiglumide, a new potent and selective CCK(A)-receptor antagonist, to counteract CCK-mediated effects was evaluated. 3. The amphibian peptide caerulein (1 microg kg(-1) intraperitoneally three times daily) was used as a CCK agonist, while camostate (200 mg kg(-1) intragastrically once daily), a synthetic protease inhibitor, was used to release endogenous CCK. They were administered to rats for seven days with or without dexloxiglumide (25 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously 15 min before the stimulus). On the eighth day, animals were killed, the pancreas and stomach excised, weighed, homogenized and their protein and DNA content measured. 4. Both exogenous and endogenous CCK increased the weight of the pancreas as well as the total pancreatic protein and DNA content. Dexloxiglumide, which alone did not affect pancreatic size and composition, was able to counteract both caerulein- and camostate-induced pancreatic changes. Neither stimuli affected gastric growth in respect of weight and composition of the oxyntic gland area and the antrum. 5. These results show different effects of CCK on pancreatic and gastric growth. The CCK-induced pancreatic hypertrophy and hyperplasia are blocked by the potent and specific CCK(A)-receptor antagonist, dexloxiglumide. This compound therefore represents a useful tool to investigate CCK-receptor interactions in peripheral organs.