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Copyright of Hungarian Medical Journal / Orvosi Hetilap is the property of Akademiai Kiado and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of the study was to estimate the breakdown of the allochthonous litter in an artificial stream running in an agricultural area and compare it with the same values following a toxic mud spill into the same stream. Litter bags were filled with three types of leaves (Quercus robur, Populus tremula and Salix alba) and placed to the bottom of the river. Ergosterol was used to detect fungal biomass. We supposed the absence of fungi and the retardation of leaf litter decomposition. Only pH and conductivity increased significantly. Leaf mass loss after the catastrophe was much slower than in 2009 and the decay curves did not follow the exponential decay model. Prior to the catastrophe, leaf mass loss was fast in Torna, compared to other streams in the area. The reason is that the stream is modified, the bed is trapezoid and covered with concrete stones. Fungal biomass was lower, than in the pre-disaster experiment, because fungi did not have enough leaves to sporulate. Leaf mass loss followed the exponential decay curve before the disaster, but after that it was possible only after a non-change period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the differences between natural and morphologically modified stream bed sections in Hungarian midland streams by means of macroinvertebrate shredder abundance and leaf litter decomposition, and identify the key drivers of poor shredder fauna in modified water bodies. Eight sampling sites on three low order Hungarian watercourses were selected and studied between the springs of 2008 and 2009. Three types of leaf litter were collected and placed into leaf litter bags that were fixed to a metal wire net on the bottom of the river bed. Samples were taken in every four weeks. Leaf litter content and decomposition rate was determined and macroinvertebrates identified. Gammaridae dominated among shredders and their proportion did not differ significantly in bags. The shredders' counts and the leaf litter decay rates were different in the experimental streams. The sampling sites located in modified stream sections, with limited availability of food, exhibited lower shredder densities but higher decomposition rates (k>0.01 d-1) than those observed in sites of undisturbed bed morphology with rich allochtonous organic matter (k<0.0077 d-1). However, no significant differences were obtained in decay rates among the leaf species. Our results suggest that shoreline vegetation and bed morphology are two equally important factors in determining functional properties of streams; and leaf litter decomposition rate is not only a function of shredder density. Thus decomposition rate can be an important functional variable for ecological status assessment of the water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One species of Asellota (Asellus aquaticus Linnaeus, 1758) and four Amphipods (Gammarus balcanicus Schäferna, 1922, Gammarus leopoliensis Jaźdźewksi & Konopacka, 1989 Niphargus elegans Garbini, 1894 and Niphargus puteanus baloghi Dudich, 1940) are presented. The occurrence of the Gammarus leopoliensis is the first record from Romania. With 18 figures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishment of a proper hemodynamic monitoring system in order to achieve optimal care among critically ill patients is fundamental. In contrast to invasive patient-checking systems, which were introduced decades ago and used in both adult and pediatric intensive care, the non-invasive methods have become more popular in recent years due to technical advancements in intensive care and patient monitoring. This increase in popularity can be attributed to the higher degree of safety and reduced complication rates as well as to its being more economical. Our summary focuses on the ICON ® patient monitoring system. This newly engineered, non-invasive tool is based on electrical cardiometry, and uses hemodynamic parameters in both neonatal and pediatric care as well as in adults. The operating principle is simple: the conductivity of the blood in the aorta shows time-dependent changes. Prior to the opening of the aortic valve, the orientation of the red blood cells (RBCs) is random, and it is not until the contraction of the aorta that the RBCs and the opening of the aortic valve achieve a parallel position. The tool senses the conductivity between four placed electrodes, and measures the stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO), before calculating other additional parameters (eg.: systemic vascular resistance) by tracing the variation of bioimpedance according to changes in the heart cycle. The most important advantages of ICON ® are the measurements that are made available immediately as well as continuously, and the low complication rate that originates from its non-invasive operation. ICON ® is a new, promising hemodynamic device in the tool belt of intensive care. Due to the nature of the device, it is possible to evaluate the status of the patient on a continuous basis, allowing for optimal care. To identify the more accurate clinical indications further measures will be necessary. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(44): 1775-1781.

Introduction and Aim: We aimed to analyze patient characteristics of term neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia at the 3rd level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the 1st Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University., Method: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis between 2013-2015, including 97 asphyxiated neonates with HIE who received hypothermia treatment, using our in-house developed novel registry database., Results: 59.8% of neonates were born with Cesarean section and the first blood gas analysis showed a pH of 7.0 ± 0.2, pCO 2 55.9 ± 27.3 mmHg, base deficit 16.7 ± 7.2 mmol/l, and lactate levels of 13.3 ± 4.7 mmol/l (x ± SD). Hypothermia treatment was started during neonatal transport in 93.7% of the cases, at 2.5 ± 0.3 hours of age. Multiorgan failure associated with the perinatal asphyxia was present in 83.2% of the patients. Patients received intensive therapy for a median of 10.8 days, 61.3% of neonates were discharged home directly, 32.2% required further hospital treatment, and 6.5% died., Conclusion: Our novel registry database allowed for a quick, user-friendly and time-efficient analysis of patient characteristics in neonates with HIE. This registry could aid institutional audit work and prospective clinical data collection. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(9), 331-339.