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Platform carbonates of the Upper Triassic Dachstein Limestone in Naszály Hill have been karstified extensively over the past 200 million years. They provide an excellent example of polyphase karstic diagenesis that is probably typical of many subaerially exposed carbonate sequences. Seven karstic phases are recognized in the area, each of which include polyphase karstic events. The first karst phase was associated with the Löfer cycles. Meteoric waters caused dissolution; enlarged fractures and cavities were filled by marine and/or vadose silts and cement. The second karst phase was caused by local tectonic movements. Bedding-plane-controlled phreatic caves were formed, and filled by silts. The third karst phase lasted from the end of the Triassic to the Eocene. This was a regional, multiphase karstic event related to younger composite unconformities. Bauxitic fill is the most characteristic product of this phase. The karst terrain reached its mature or senile stage with very little porosity. Narrow veins and floating rafts of white calcite marks karst phase 4, which resulted from hydrothermaI activity associated with Palaeogene magmatism. The early Rupelian phase of Alpine uplift caused large-scale rejuvenation of the former karst terrain (karst phase 5). Subsequently Naszály Hill was buried as an area of juvenile karst with significant porosity. A second period of hydrothermal activity in the area (karst phase 6) was induced by Miocene volcanism, which resulted in wide, pale green calcite veins. Finally karst phase 7 was of tectonic origin. Following the most recent, Miocene uplift of the Naszály Hill, the carbonates have again become the site of vadose karst development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify characteristics and visual outcomes of coagulase-negative staphylococcal (CoNS) endophthalmitis in the era after the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study., Design: Single-centre retrospective analysis., Participants: Forty-two samples from 40 patients with documented CoNS endophthalmitis., Methods: Visual acuity outcomes of CoNS endophthalmitis were assessed in relation to species and type of treatment instituted (i.e., pars plana vitrectomy [PPV] versus vitreous tap and injection of intravitreal antibiotics [T&I]) on 42 samples from 40 patients., Results: Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most prevalent CoNS in our study. Cataract surgery and intravitreal injections were the most common sources for acute CoNS endophthalmitis. Eyes presenting with hand motion or better vision had similar mean final vision after either intravitreal antibiotics or PPV, whereas those with light perception or worse vision at onset had better outcomes after PPV only. Subanalysis showed that patients with S. epidermidis endophthalmitis (n = 39 eyes) had similar visual outcomes with either intravitreal injections or PPV regardless of visual acuity. Hypopyon and vitritis are not always present., Conclusions: Patients with S. epidermidis endophthalmitis may benefit similarly from either early vitrectomy or intravitreal antibiotic injections regardless of visual acuity. This finding may be a supplement to the complements the management standards set forth by the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Freshwater ecosystems and their bordering wetlands and riparian zones are vital for human society and biological diversity. Yet, they are among the most degraded ecosystems, where sharp declines in biodiversity are driven by human activities, such as hydropower development, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Because freshwater ecosystems are characterized by strongly reciprocal linkages with surrounding landscapes, human activities that encroach on or degrade riparian zones ultimately lead to declines in freshwater-riparian ecosystem functioning. We synthesized results of a symposium on freshwater, riparian, and wetland processes and interactions and analyzed some of the major problems associated with improving freshwater and riparian research and management. Three distinct barriers are the lack of involvement of local people in conservation research and management, absence of adequate measurement of biodiversity in freshwater and riparian ecosystems, and separate legislation and policy on riparian and freshwater management. Based on our findings, we argue that freshwater and riparian research and conservation efforts should be integrated more explicitly. Best practices for overcoming the 3 major barriers to improved conservation include more and sustainable use of traditional and other forms of local ecological knowledge, choosing appropriate metrics for ecological research and monitoring of restoration efforts, and mirroring the close links between riparian and freshwater ecosystems in legislation and policy. Integrating these 3 angles in conservation science and practice will provide substantial benefits in addressing the freshwater biodiversity crisis., (© 2024 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.)

Neisseria meningitidis causes life-threatening invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) with high mortality worldwide. Asymptomatic pharyngeal meningococcus colonisation is an important reservoir for the spread of the bacterium. The aim of this study was to determine N. meningitidis colonisation rates in asymptomatic high school and university students and to identify risk factors for carriage. Oropharyngeal swab samples and data from a self-reported questionnaire were obtained from overall 610 students, among them 303 university students and 307 high school students, aged between 15 and 31 years in Budapest, Hungary, between November 2017 and December 2018. Meningococcal carriage and serogroup of N. meningitidis were determined by RT-PCR from DNA extracted directly from the specimen. N. meningitidis was identified in 212 (34.8 %) of the participants. Significantly higher carriage rate was found among high school students (48.9 %) compared to university students (20.5 %). Peak of colonisation rate was among 17-19-year-old students (48.7 %). Most carriage isolates were non-typable (87.3 %). From the 212 meningococcus carriers, 19 were colonised by serogroup B (9 %), 5 by serogroup C (2.4 %), and 1 had serogroup Y (0.5 %). Significantly higher colonisation rate was found among males (42.4 %) than in females (33.1 %). Antibiotic use in the past 2 months has decreased the rate of meningococcal colonisation. Recent respiratory infection, active or passive smoking and attending parties have not influenced meningococcal colonisation rate significantly. In conclusion, we have found high asymptomatic meningococcus carriage rate among high school students and young adults, however, the majority of the colonizing meningococci were non-typable., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: BioFire FilmArray Pneumonia plus Panel (bioMerieux) is a PCR method for microbiological diagnostics of lower respiratory infections. It can detect 18 bacteria, 9 viruses and 7 antibiotic resistance genes in real time. It can help the differential diagnosis and the choice of therapy of pneumonia, by giving results in two hours. Objective: Reviewing the results of pneumonia PCR tests performed in our laboratory, and comparing them with the results of conventional culturing. Method: From October 2020 to September 2021, 820 lower respiratory tract samples were analyzed from inpatients with suspected pneumonia. Beside the PCR test, culturing was also performed. Oropharyngeal swabs were used for supplementary SARS-CoV-2 PCR. Results: 40% of samples were collected from SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. In 60% of the samples, the PCR test detected pathogens or resistance genes. The most commonly detected pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. 44% of the bacteria detected by PCR were not verified by culturing, whereas by culturing, several other bacteria, fungi and antibiotic resistance mechanisms were detected, which were not shown in the results of the multiplex PCR tests. In SARS-CoV-2-positive inpatients, 25.8% of the detected bacteria was S. aureus. The most common resistance gene was mecA/C (MRSA). In this group, other respiratory virus genes were detected in 2% of SARS-CoV-2-positive patients, whereas in 13% in samples of SARS-CoV-2-negative patients. Conclusions: Because of the importance of pathogens excluded from the PCR targets and multifactorial mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, culturing is recommended to perform beside pneumonia-specific multiplex PCR tests.

Herbivore species can either hinder or accelerate the invasion of woody species through selective utilization. Therefore, an exploration of foraging decisions can contribute to the understanding and forecasting of woody plant invasions. Despite the large distribution range and rapidly growing abundance of beaver species across the Northern Hemisphere, only a few studies focus on the interaction between beavers and invasive woody plants.We collected data on the woody plant supply and utilization at 20 study sites in Hungary, at two fixed distances from the water. The following parameters were registered: taxon, trunk diameter, type of utilization, and carving depth. Altogether 5401 units (trunks and thick branches) were identified individually. We developed a statistical protocol that uses a dual approach, combining whole-database and transect-level analyses to examine foraging strategy.Taxon, diameter, and distance from water all had a significant effect on foraging decisions. The order of preference for the four most abundant taxa was Populus spp. (softwood), Salix spp. (softwood), Fraxinus pennsylvanica (invasive hardwood), and Acer negundo (invasive hardwood). The diameter influenced the type of utilization, as units with greater diameter were rather carved or debarked than felled. According to the central-place foraging strategy, the intensity of the foraging decreased with the distance from the water, while both the taxon and diameter selectivity increased. This suggests stronger modification of the woody vegetation directly along the waterbank, together with a weaker impact further from the water.In contrast to invasive trees, for which utilization occurred almost exclusively in the smallest diameter class, even the largest softwood trees were utilized by means of carving and debarking. This may lead to the gradual loss of softwoods or the transformation of them into shrubby forms. After the return of the beaver, mature stages of softwood stands and thus the structural heterogeneity of floodplain woody vegetation could be supported by the maintenance of sufficiently large active floodplains.The beaver accelerates the shift of the canopy layer's species composition toward invasive hardwood species, supporting the enemy release hypothesis. However, the long-term impact will also depend on how plants respond to different types of utilization and on their ability to regenerate, which are still unexplored issues in this environment. Our results should be integrated with knowledge about factors influencing the competitiveness of the studied native and invasive woody species to support floodplain conservation and reconstruction., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Legumes are able to meet their nitrogen need by establishing nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with rhizobia. Nitrogen fixation is performed by rhizobia, which has been converted to bacteroids, in newly formed organs, the root nodules. In the model legume Medicago truncatula , nodule cells are invaded by rhizobia through transcellular tubular structures called infection threads (ITs) that are initiated at the root hairs. Here, we describe a novel M. truncatula early symbiotic mutant identified as infection-related epidermal factor ( ief ), in which the formation of ITs is blocked in the root hair cells and only nodule primordia are formed. We show that the function of MtIEF is crucial for the bacterial infection in the root epidermis but not required for the nodule organogenesis. The IEF gene that appears to have been recruited for a symbiotic function after the duplication of a flower-specific gene is activated by the ERN1-branch of the Nod factor signal transduction pathway and independent of the NIN activity. The expression of MtIEF is induced transiently in the root epidermal cells by the rhizobium partner or Nod factors. Although its expression was not detectable at later stages of symbiosis, complementation experiments indicate that MtIEF is also required for the proper invasion of the nodule cells by rhizobia. The gene encodes an intracellular protein of unknown function possessing a coiled-coil motif and a plant-specific DUF761 domain. The IEF protein interacts with RPG, another symbiotic protein essential for normal IT development, suggesting that combined action of these proteins plays a role in nodule infection.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.