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Obscurin is a giant sarcomeric protein expressed in striated muscles known to establish several interactions with other proteins of the sarcomere, but also with proteins of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and costameres. Here, we report experiments aiming to better understand the contribution of obscurin to skeletal muscle fibers, starting with a detailed characterization of the diaphragm muscle function, which we previously reported to be the most affected muscle in obscurin (Obscn) KO mice. Twitch and tetanus tension were not significantly different in the diaphragm of WT and Obscn KO mice, while the time to peak (TTP) and half relaxation time (HRT) were prolonged. Differences in force-frequency and force-velocity relationships and an enhanced fatigability are observed in an Obscn KO diaphragm with respect to WT controls. Voltage clamp experiments show that a sarcoplasmic reticulum's Ca2+ release and SERCA reuptake rates were decreased in muscle fibers from Obscn KO mice, suggesting that an impairment in intracellular Ca2+ dynamics could explain the observed differences in the TTP and HRT in the diaphragm. In partial contrast with previous observations, Obscn KO mice show a normal exercise tolerance, but fiber damage, the altered sarcomere ultrastructure and M-band disarray are still observed after intense exercise.

The paper demonstrates how the results of research into Hungarian family name geo-graphy could be applied in dialectology, using personal names as examples. Name geographic research into Hungarian historical family names originating in common nouns may lead to conclusions regarding the history of Hungarian dialects. The paper examines family names derived from the word gólya ‘stork’ the name for the bird, or from its synonyms (Gólya, Czakó, Gagó, Eszterág), and the family name Gerencsér in this respect. The changes and connections – over the span of several centuries – between maps presenting the geography of a lexeme and those depicting the geography of a family name derived from the lexeme are illustrated with the help of the form variants of the family name Fazekas.

Spatial distribution of proper names – similarly to that of common nouns – is a natural consequence of language change; as a result, the geography of personal (especially family) names has recently become an important field of study in international and Hungarian Onomastics. The paper first outlines the history of previous Hungarian name geographical research, focusing on terminological questions. The author then discusses the relationship between Geolinguistics and name geographical research, using examples from ‘Történeti magyar családnévatlasz’ (Atlas of Hungarian Historical Family Names). Relations between the frequency of Christian names and that of family names are illustrated in the paper by the 15th–18th-century geography of the family name Benkő: the outstanding historical or contemporary frequency of family names derived from the same Christian name in an area is determined by the previous frequency of the base Christian name in the territory. Christian names can also be used to demonstrate the ethnic composition of the Carpathian Basin: the 18th-century expansion of the southern Slavic and German ethnic groups is illustrated by the appearance of the names Jován and Fridericus (and their variants), respectively.