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A PTE GYTK Szerves és Gyógyszerkémiai Intézete alapítói, Prof. Hideg Kálmán (1934-2018) és Dr. Hankovszky H. Olga (1934-2020) halála után is megtartotta fő profilját, a csaknem fél évszázada művelt stabilis nitroxid szabad gyökök szintézise, átalakításai és alkalmazásai tématerületet. Ugyanakkor kutatási köre kibővült anyagtudományi kutatásokkal is, amelyek kiterjednek a stabilis nitroxid szabad gyökök, a makromolekulák/szupramolekuláris rendszerek és kismolekulák másodlagos kémiai kölcsönhatásainak vizsgálatára, valamint a mezőgazdaságban is alkalmazható nanoszerkezetű anyagok bizonyos tulajdonságainak vizsgálatára is. Az intézethez új kollégák és PhD hallgatók csatlakoztak az elmúlt nyolc évben. Többen közülük már megvédték PhD értekezésüket vagy PhD témájukon dolgoznak a Kémiai Doktori Iskola, az Interdiszciplináris Orvostudományi Doktori Iskola vagy a Gyógyszertudományok Doktori Iskola keretei között. Másik jelentős változás, hogy az intézet oktatási profilja miatt átkerült az időközben megalakult Gyógyszerésztudományi Karra. Jelen összefoglaló cikkünk a 2013-ban megjelent közleményünket meghaladó főbb eredményeinket mutatja be szerves kémiai kutatások és anyagtudományi kutatások területekre bontva. A stabilis nitroxid szabad gyökök kutatásának egyik fő célja új, a biomolekulák (fehérjék, nukleinsavak, lipidek) kovalens módosítására alkalmas u.n. spinjelző vegyületek szintézise. A spinjelzők segítségével szerezhetünk információt a biomolekula szerkezetéről és funkciójáról ESR spektroszkópiás vizsgálatokkal. Nitroxid-biomolekula vagy nitroxid-gyógyszermolekula hibridek létrehozása kutatásaink szintén fontos irányvonala szerkezet-hatás összefüggések felderítése céljából. De legalább ennyire jelentős a piperidin, tetrahidropiridin, pirrolin és pirrolidin típusú nitroxidokon, mint részben vagy teljesen telített, többszörösen szubsztituált, N-heterociklusos gyűrűkön végrehajtható szelektív (szabadgyökös centrumot nem érintő) reakciók tanulmányozása, optimalizálása. Ami az anyagtudománnyi kutatásokat illeti, itt a biradikálisok részletes vizsgálatával a kettősen spinjelölt biomolekulák spinjelzői közötti spin-spin kölcsönhatást kívántuk modellezni, míg a módosított, nanoszerkezetű titán-dioxidokkal a reaktív oxigén származék generáló képességet kívántuk optimalizálni. A metotrexát (MTX) és a fototrexát (PTX) sajátságainak tanulmányozása az optimális hatóanyag leadás, ill. a hatóanyag fénnyel történő aktiválásának szempontjából fontosak és további gyógyszertechnológiai kutatások, valamint a célzott terápia szempontjából lehetnek jelentősek.

Heat stress affects the performance of poultry species and also induces immunosuppression. Chickens can be treated by thermal conditioning to have better heat stress tolerance. Our purpose was to determine the effect of acute heat stress on the immune response, i.e. antibody production against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and change in the proportion of leukocyte components, in chicks subjected to prenatal heat conditioning. Eighty as-hatched broiler chicks from the same parent stock were used: control (40 chicks incubated at 36.7 °C from days 18–20 of embryonic life) and thermally manipulated (TM) (40 chicks incubated at 38.4 °C from day 18–20 of embryonic life; 4 h/day). The chickens were exposed to heat stress: at day 19 (31 °C/8 h) and at day 35 (32 °C/10 h). The first heat stress (day 19) decreased the lymphocyte counts and significantly increased the heterophil counts (P < 0.05) in both treatments (from 34.25 to 55% in the controls and from 37 to 60.06% in the TM chicks). The second heat stress (day 35) did not alter the heterophil and lymphocyte profiles of the chickens. Before the heat stress, all of the chickens (control and TM) presented the same positive antibody titres to NDV vaccination. After the first heat stress, 50% of the control samples and 40% of samples from the TM chickens were negative. After the second heat stress, 80% of the TM samples were negative.

Harvested mature berry clusters of two white table grape cultivars were used to study the effects of postharvest UV irradiation. One cultivar, 'Queen of Vineyard' (QV), had higher light-acclimated PSII quantum yield, higher phenolic contents, and stronger total antioxidant capacities than the other, 'White Sultana' (WS). These differences were maintained throughout the experiment. Responses of the two cultivars to a 30-min UV irradiation were also different. Antioxidant capacities and flavonol, especially quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, contents were lower 2 h after the UV treatment in both cultivars and recovered in QV but not in WS berry skins later on. Our data demonstrate that mature grapevine berries have photosynthetically active tissues capable of dynamic changes even several hours after harvest and suggest that changes in photochemistry may contribute to postharvest metabolic responses of berry skins. Results also support the potential of postharvest manipulation of fruit qualities with UV irradiation.

Az OSAP 1021 háziorvosi statisztikai jelentés alapján 1999. óta nyomon követhető több mint 30 krónikus betegség alakulása Magyarországon. A jelentésben szereplő adatok 35 betegségre vonatkozóan a KSH honlapjáról kerültek lekérdezésre. Az adatok alakulását vizsgáltuk a kezdőévhez viszonyítva, továbbá 1000 főre nemenként és 3 korcsoportban (19-34 év, 35-64 év, 65 év és több). A betegségek száma átlagosan kétszeres mértékben nőtt 21 év alatt. A növekedés mértékét illetően kiugróan magas arányban fordultak elő pajzsmirigy elváltozások. Nem nőtt a vizsgált időszakban fiatalkori ízületi gyulladás, az emésztőszervi fekélyek, továbbá a vakság és gyengénlátás. Legnagyobb számban a magas vérnyomás (3,16 millió), spondylopathiák (2,17 millió), lipoprotein-anyagcserezavar (1,39 millió), ischaemiás szívbetegség (1,17 millió) és a diabetes mellitus (1,09 millió) jelenik meg. A betegségszám növekedést a kórházi beavatkozásokkal, laboratóriumi vizsgálatok számával, a gyógyszerfogyasztással, az idősödéssel és a lehetséges környezeti tényezőkkel próbáltuk magyarázni. Javaslatot tettünk a jelentés tartalmának és felhasználás módjának megváltoztatására.

Az alapellatasban megjelenő traumakrol eddig hazankban nem volt atfogo kimutatas. Az elektronikus egeszsegugyi agazatfejlesztesi projekt kereteben lehetőseg nyilt arra, hogy megvizsgaljuk, a haziorvosi/hazi gyermekorvosi ellatasban hany fő jelenik meg es jellemzően milyen serulesekkel. Az adatokat a Nemzeti Egeszsegbiztositasi Alapkezelő bocsatotta rendelkezesre a haziorvosi ellatas un. B300-as jelentese alapjan. Feldolgozasra kerultek a Betegsegek Nemzetkozi Osztalyozasa (BNO) 10. verzioja alapjan a serulesek testtajankent, illetve ugyancsak a BNO 10-ben meghatarozott, a balesetek korulmenyeit leiro un. kulső okok szerint. Az adatok orszagos, megyei es jarasi teruleti es nemenkenti bontasban, 3 korcsoportra (0-18 ev, 19-65 ev, 66-X ev) kerultek levalogatasra. A projekt kereteben letrehozott internetes feluleten terkepről, illetve hozza kapcsolodo oszlopdiagramokrol olvashatok le az eredmenyek, melyek Excel formatumban is letolthetők. A vizsgalat eveben (2018) traumak miatt mintegy 1,2 millio orvos–beteg talalkozas volt a haziorvosi/hazi gyermekorvosi ellatasban. Egy betegre 1,46 orvos–beteg talalkozo jutott atlagosan 2018-ban. A balesethez vezető leggyakoribb okok mechanikaiak (pl. utes, utkozes), masodik helyen az esesek, a harmadikon pedig a kutyaharapasok talalhatok. Az egyes megyekben, azon beluli jarasokban elterő a balesetek okainak sorrendje. Orszagosan jelentősen tobb a kutyaharapasok miatti serules a szegenyebb megyekben, azon belul is a hatranyosabb szocialis-gazdasagi helyzetű jarasokban. A serulesek helyet tekintve elsősorban az also vegtag (tobb mint 450 000 eset), majd a felső vegtag serulesek (cc. 412 000 eset) illetve a gerinc- es torzsserulesek (cc. 150 000 eset) fordulnak elő. A balesetek igen nagyszamu orvos–beteg talalkozast eredmenyeznek az alapellatasban. Ezek egy resze feltehetően kisebb serules eredmenye, illetve adminisztrativ talalkozasra vezethető vissza. Az utesek, utkozesek, esesek mellett kiemelten magas a kutyaharapasok szama. A projekt nagy jelentősege, hogy jarasi szinten kepes nemenkent es korcsoportonkent kezelni a baleseteket es traumakat. Igy, amellett, hogy leirja az alapellatas baleset okozta terheleset, jarasi szintű megelőzesi programok kidolgozasat is szolgalhatja.

The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 polymorphs has been frequently debated in literature. Numerous studies reported that rutile TiO2 exhibits low photocatalytic activity, and it is generally accepted that rutile has lower photoactivity than the anatase phase. Herein, we studied the photocatalytic activity of phase-pure rutile TiO2 nanoparticles prepared via microwave-assisted hydrothermal method (MW-R NPs). The syntheses were performed with relatively short reaction time (1−3h) at 180 °C using a microwave digestion system. The samples were characterized in detail and then tested in the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO). We demonstrate that the photodegradation of MO with MW-R NPs is highly efficient in the presence of H2O2. By employing 4.4 mM H2O2, ~90% of total decolorization was achieved after 2 min of UV-A irradiation. At the same experimental conditions, MO degradation with Degussa P25 TiO2 was only ~7%. The superior photoactivity of MW-R NPs was related to the effective photogeneration of O2•− radicals as revealed by EPR investigation. These rutile nanoparticles are excellent photocatalysts in the presence of H2O2, signifying that this oxygen source react easily with the photogenerated holes on the MW-R NPs, and thus the interfacial charge transfer lead to the formation of a large amount of O2•− radicals.

Controlled postharvest abiotic stresses have already been shown to affect the secondary metabolism of fresh produce. We applied broad band ultraviolet (either 312 nm centred UV-B or 355 nm centred UV-A) radiation on harvested berry clusters of the red table grape Emperor, and measured berry skin antioxidant capacities and phenolic profiles 2, 24 and 48 h after these treatments. There was no significant change in the amount of caftaric acid, the dominant phenolic acid component featuring higher UV-B than UV-A absorbing capacity. On the other hand, but both types of UV treatment decreased the amounts of the two major quercetin-glycosides 2 h after irradiation. This effect was temporal, and concentration recovered during berry storage at 20 °C under low intensity light. Berry skin UV-A and UV-B absorbing capacities showed the same, transitional decrease regardless of the wavelength of the irradiation. In the whole data set, antioxidant capacities and quercetin-glycoside content data showed strong and positive correlations. Berry skin peroxidase activity, as visualized with diaminobenzidine-staining showed a transitional increase after 2 h in response to both UV treatments. These data suggest that the observed UV-induced postharvest changes in phenolic metabolites are related to the oxidation of flavonols as peroxidase substrates rather than to direct UV photo-effects.

The control of infectious bronchitis (IB) is essential in intensive broiler production and is pursued through strict biosecurity and mass vaccination. Despite effective and routinely adopted, hatchery spray vaccination has been hypothesized to affect chicks’ body temperature and wellbeing. Recently, gel administration has been proposed as an alternative and proved feasible in experimental settings. In this study, IBV spray and gel vaccination methods were compared in field conditions. One hundred birds from the same hatch were enrolled in the study and vaccinated, half by spray and half by gel, with 793B and Mass vaccines. After vaccination, rectal temperature was measured and vaccine intake assessed. The two groups were housed for 35 days in separate pens and swabs and blood samples were collected at multiple time points for genotype-specific molecular analyses and serology, respectively. The temperature was significantly lower in spray-vaccinated chicks 10 min and an hour after administration. A similar trend in 793B titres was observed in both groups, while the Mass vaccine was detected later but persisted longer in gel-vaccinated chicks. No differences were observed in mean antibody titres. Compared to spray, gel administration appears equally effective and less impactful on body temperature, thus supporting its application for IBV vaccination.

Flavonols play key roles in many plant defense mechanisms, consequently they are frequently investigated as stress sensitive factors in relation to several oxidative processes. It is well known that grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) can synthesize various flavonol glycosides in the leaves, however, very little information is available regarding their distribution along the cane at different leaf levels. In this work, taking into consideration of leaf position, the main flavonol glycosides of a red grapevine cultivar (Cabernet Sauvignon) were profiled and quantified by HPLC–DAD analysis. It was found that amount of four flavonol glycosides, namely, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol-3-O-glucuronide decreased towards the shoot tip. Since leaf age also decreases towards the shoot tip, the obtained results suggest that these compounds continuously formed by leaf aging, resulting in their accumulation in the older leaves. In contrast, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide (predominant form) and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside were not accumulated significantly by aging. We also pointed out that grapevine boosted the flavonol biosynthesis in September, and flavonol profile differed significantly in the two seasons. Our results contribute to the better understanding of the role of flavonols in the antioxidant defense system of grapevine.

Over the past decades, nanotechnology has received great attention and brought revolutionary solutions for a number of challenges in scientific fields. Industrial, agricultural and medical applications of engineered nanomaterials have increased intensively. The ability of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), when excited by ultra-violet (UV) light, makes them useful for effectively inactivate various pathogens. It is known that ROS also have signalling role in living organisms, therefore, TiO2 NPs-induced ROS can influence both enzymatic and non-enzymatic defence systems, and could play a role in the resistance of plants to pathogens. Herein, we studied the photocatalytic stress responses of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) as model plant, when exposed to a well-known photocatalyst, Degussa P25 TiO2 NPs. The photocatalytically produced ROS such as superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen were confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Foliar exposure of five red cultivars (Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Kekfrankos and Kadarka) was carried out in blooming phenophase under field condition where plants are exposed to natural sunlight with relatively high UV radiation (with a maximum of ~ 45 W m−2). After two weeks of exposure, the effects of photogenerated ROS on the total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, flavonol profile and the main macro-, microelements of the leaves were studied in detail. We found that foliar application of TiO2 NPs boosted the total phenolic content and biosynthesis of the leaf flavonols depending on the grapevine variety. Photocatalytically active TiO2 NPs also increased K, Mg, Ca, B and Mn levels in the leaves as shown by ICP-AES measurements.

In the past decade, utilization of nanostructured materials has increased intensively in a wide range of applications. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), for instance, can be applied for the inactivation of various pathogens through photo-induced generation of reactive oxygen species. Although TiO2 NPs with high antimicrobial activity are of great importance, in practice, their phytotoxic effects have not yet been fully clarified. In this study, we investigated the potential phytotoxicity of TiO2 NPs on grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) under field conditions. After foliar exposure, two particularly stress-sensitive parameters, photosynthetic function and the flavonol profile, were examined. Micro- and macroelement composition of the leaves was also studied by ICP-AES measurements. We found that TiO2 NPs significantly decreased the net CO2 assimilation and increased stomatal conductance, indicating metabolic (nonstomatal) inhibition of the photosynthesis. The lower electron transport rate and lower nonphotochemical quenching in treated leaves are indicative of diminished photoprotective processes.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CP-Kp) is one of the most important opportunistic pathogens strongly associated with nosocomial infections. The capsule of CP-Kp not only contributes to its pathogenic potential but also ensures survival for bacteria in different environments and surfaces. Development of novel reactive nanomaterials can help to inhibit the survival of such microorganism and thereby their spreading in the hospital environment. In this work, the photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of PF-co-doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were studied in details and related to the evolution of their structure and surface composition upon hydrothermal treatment at 250 °C for periods up to 12 h. Structural and morphological evolution were followed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy while the surface composition was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements were carried out to reveal the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both OH and O2 − radicals as well as 1O2 were confirmed and quantitatively compared in different photoirradiated PF-TiO2 NPs dispersions. It was found that hydrothermal treatment increased the photocatalytic and antibacterial activity while PF-co-doping promoted the formation of OH radicals. By the application of PF-co-doping, the elevated level of OH led to rapid inactivation of CP-Kp.

We determined the prevalence of untreated depression in patients with hypertension (HT) and/or diabetes (DM) and estimated the extra health care use and expenditures associated with this comorbidity in a rural Hungarian adult population. We also assessed the potential workload of systematic screening for depression in this patient group. General health check database from a primary care programme containing survey data of 2027 patients with HT and/or DM was linked to the outpatient secondary care use database of National Institute of Health Insurance Fund Management. Depression was ascertained by Beck Depression Inventory score and antidepressant drug use. The association between untreated depression and secondary healthcare utilization indicated by number of visits and expenses was evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis controlled for socioeconomic/lifestyle factors and comorbidity. The age-, sex- and education-specific observations were used to estimate the screening workload for an average general medical practice. The frequency of untreated depression was 27.08%. The untreated severe depression (7.45%) was associated with increased number of visits (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.11–2.31) and related expenses (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.50–3.22) in a socioeconomic status-independent manner. To identify untreated depression cases among patients with HT and/or DM, an average GP has to screen 42 subjects a month. It seems to be reasonable and feasible to screen for depression in patients with HT and/or DM in the primary care, in order to detect cases without treatment (which may be associated with increase of secondary care visits and expenditures) and to initiate the adequate treatment of them.

This study was part of monitoring an intervention aimed at developing a general practitioner cluster (GPC) model of primary healthcare (PHC) and testing its effectiveness in delivering preventive services integrated into the PHC system. The aim was to demonstrate whether GPC operation could increase the percentage of drugs actually dispensed. Using national reference data of the National Health Insurance Fund for each anatomical&ndash, therapeutic chemical classification ATC group of drugs, dispensed-to-prescribed ratios standardized (sDPR) for age, sex, and exemption certificate were calculated during the first quarter of 2012 (before-intervention) and the third quarter of 2015 (post-intervention). The after-to-before ratios of the sDPR as the relative dispensing ratio (RDR) were calculated to describe the impact of the intervention program. The general medication adherence increased significantly in the intervention area (RDR = 1.064, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.054&ndash, 1.073). The most significant changes were observed for cardiovascular system drugs (RDR = 1.062, 95% CI: 1.048&ndash, 1.077) and for alimentary tract and metabolism-specific drugs (RDR = 1.072, 95% CI: 1.049&ndash, 1.097). The integration of preventive services into a PHC without any specific medication adherence-increasing activities is beneficial for medication adherence, especially among patients with cardiovascular, alimentary tract, and metabolic disorders. Monitoring the percentage of drugs actually dispensed is a useful element of PHC-oriented intervention evaluation frames.

Hierarchically assembled flower-like rutile TiO2 (FLH-R-TiO2) nanostructures were successfully synthesized from TiCl4 at room temperature without the use of surfactants or templates. An initial sol–gel synthesis at room temperature allowed long-term hydrolysis and condensation of the precursors. The resulting FLH-R-TiO2 possessed relatively high crystallinity (85 wt%) and consisted of rod-shaped subunits assembling into cauliflower-like nanostructures. Hydrothermal evolution of FLH-R-TiO2 at different temperatures (150, 200 and 250 °C) was followed by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. These FLH-R-TiO2 nanostructures were tested as photocatalysts under simulated daylight (full-spectrum lighting) in the degradation of methyl orange and in the inactivation of a multiresistant bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae. The effects of hydrothermal treatment on the structure, photocatalytic behavior and antibacterial activity of FLH-R-TiO2 are discussed.

Photosynthesis parameters, adaxial flavonoid index, phenolic profiles and antioxidant capacities of south-facing sun exposed grapevine leaves (Vitis vinifera, Pinot Noir cultivar) were measured hourly between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on a clear summer day. Changes in these parameters were statistically compared to changes in environmental conditions, including solar irradiance (photosynthetically active and UV radiations), leaf and air temperature, and relative air humidity. Epidermal UV absorbance, characterised by the flavonoid index, and total extractable phenolic contents were correlated to distinct environmental parameters. The former was positively correlated to irradiance and leaf temperature, while the latter was positively correlated to air temperature. HPLC phenolic profiling identified a positive correlation between air temperature and amounts of the dominant flavonol component, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide. The only phenolic component statistically connected to the flavonoid index was quercetin-3-O-glucoside. This correlation was positive and both parameters decreased during the day, although changes in the amount of this flavonol component showed no correlation to environmental factors. Total antioxidant capacities of leaf extracts were positively correlated to solar UV, and leaf and air temperature, but not to photosynthetically active radiation. Positive correlations of quercetin-3-O-glucoside contents with the flavonoid index, with photosynthesis and with sub-stomatal CO2 concentration suggest a special protective role of this flavonol. A short-term negative effect of solar UV-A and UV-B on photosynthetic CO2 uptake was also identified, which was unrelated to changes in stomatal conductance. A hypothesis is presented assuming UV- and photorespiration-derived hydrogen peroxide as the driver of daily changes in leaf antioxidant capacities.

Roma is the largest ethnic minority of Europe with poor health status, which is poorly explored due to legal constrains of ethnicity assessment. We aimed to elaborate health-indicators for adults living in segregated Roma settlements (SRS) representing the most vulnerable Roma subpopulation. SRSs were mapped in a study area populated by 54682 adults. Records of all adults living in the study area were processed in the National Institute of Health Insurance Fund Management. Aggregated, age-sex standardized SRS-specific and non-SRS-specific indicators on healthcare utilization and premature death along with the ratio of them (RR) were computed with 95% confidence intervals. The rate of GP appointments was significantly higher among SRS inhabitants (RR=1.152, 95%CI: 1.136–1.167). The proportion of subjects hospitalized (RR=1.286, 1.177–1.405), and the reimbursement for inpatient care (RR=1.060, 1.057–1.064) were elevated for SRS. Premature mortality was significantly higher in SRSs (RR=1.711, 1.085-2.696). Our study demonstrated that it is possible to compute the SRS-specific version of the routine healthcare indicators without violating the protection of personal data by converting a sensitive ethical issue to a non-sensitive small area geographical analysis; there is an SRS-specific healthcare utilization pattern, which is associated with elevated costs and increased risk of premature death.

Roma is the largest ethnic minority of Europe with deprived health status, which is poorly explored due to legal constrains of ethnicity assessment. We aimed to elaborate health indicators for adults living in segregated Roma settlements (SRS), representing the most vulnerable Roma subpopulation. SRSs were mapped in a study area populated by 54,682 adults. Records of all adults living in the study area were processed in the National Institute of Health Insurance Fund Management. Aggregated, age-sex standardized SRS-specific and non-SRS-specific indicators on healthcare utilization and all-cause premature death along with the ratio of them (RR) were computed with 95% confidence intervals. The rate of GP appointments was significantly higher among SRS inhabitants (RR = 1.152, 95% CI: 1.136&ndash, 1.167). The proportion of subjects hospitalized (RR = 1.286, 95% CI: 1.177&ndash, 1.405) and the reimbursement for inpatient care (RR = 1.060, 95% CI: 1.057&ndash, 1.064) were elevated for SRS. All-cause premature mortality was significantly higher in SRSs (RR = 1.711, 1.085&ndash, 2.696). Our study demonstrated that it is possible to compute the SRS-specific version of routine healthcare indicators without violating the protection of personal data by converting a sensitive ethical issue into a non-sensitive small-area geographical analysis, there is an SRS-specific healthcare utilization pattern, which is associated with elevated costs and increased risk of all-cause premature death.

Aim To investigate the cost-effectiveness of the endowment of the same authority and responsibility in diabetes management to licensed GPs as licensed outpatient specialists in Hungary. Methods The Syreon Diabetes Control Model (SDM) was used to evaluate life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALY) and direct medical costs over patient lifetimes. Cohort characteristics were derived from national database, clinical history data of 476,211 persons with diabetes were used, treatment effects and costs were derived from literature, national databases and expert opinions. Results The purchase of one additional quality adjusted life year with the use of licensed general practitioners was EUR 51,420 compared to making the service available only through universal GPs. The purchase of one additional quality adjusted life year through the service of licensed GPs is EUR 459,950 compared to outpatient care provision. Conclusions The management of diabetes care with licensed GPs has the potential to improve patients health gains compared to the current patterns of care in Hungary in a cost-effective way if licensed GPs are reimbursed below the average current cost of outpatient diabetes services. Increase of the capitation for diabetic patients would be a practical way to reimburse the GP’s additional service.

Over the past decades, nanotechnology has received great attention and brought revolutionary solutions for a number of challenges in scientific fields. Industrial, agricultural and medical applications of engineered nanomaterials have increased intensively. The ability of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO

The workforce crisis of primary care is reflected in the increasing number of general medical practices (GMP) with vacant general practitioner (GP) position, and the GPs’ ageing. Our study aimed to describe the association between this crisis and premature mortality. Age-sex-standardized mortality for 18-64 years old adults were calculated for all Hungarian GMPs annually in the period from 2006 to 2014. The relationship of premature mortality with GPs’ age and vacant GP position were evaluated by standardized linear regression controlled for list size, urbanization, geographical location, clients’ education, and type of the GMP. The clients’ education was the strongest protective factor (beta=-0175; p

The workforce crisis of primary care is reflected in the increasing number of general medical practices (GMP) with vacant general practitioner (GP) positions, and the GPs’ ageing. Our study aimed to describe the association between this crisis and premature mortality. Age-sex-standardized mortality for 18–64 years old adults was calculated for all Hungarian GMPs annually in the period from 2006 to 2014. The relationship of premature mortality with GPs’ age and vacant GP positions was evaluated by standardized linear regression controlled for list size, urbanization, geographical location, clients’ education, and type of the GMP. The clients’ education was the strongest protective factor (beta = −0175; p < 0.001), followed by urban residence (beta = −0.149; p < 0.001), and bigger list size (beta1601–2000 = −0.054; p < 0.001; beta2001−X = −0.096; p < 0.001). The geographical localization also significantly influenced the risk. Although GMPs with a GP aged older than 65 years (beta = 0; p = 0.995) did not affect the risk, GP vacancy was associated with higher risk (beta = 0.010; p = 0.033), although the corresponding number of attributable cases was 23.54 over 9 years. The vacant GP position is associated with a significant but hardly detectable increased risk of premature mortality without considerable public health importance. Nevertheless, employment of GPs aged more than 65 does not impose premature mortality risk elevation.

This article reports nine cases of neurological disease in brown layer pullets that occured in various European countries between 2015 and 2018. In all cases, the onset of neurological clinical signs was at 4-8 weeks of age and they lasted up to 22 weeks of age. Enlargement of peripheral nerves was the main lesion observed in all cases. Histopathological evaluation of nerves revealed oedema with moderate to severe infiltration of plasma cells. Marek's disease (MD) was ruled out by real-time PCR as none of the evaluated tissues had a high load of oncogenic MD virus (MDV) DNA, characteristics of MD. Based on the epidemiological data (layers with clinical signs starting at 5-8 weeks of age), gross lesions (peripheral nerve enlargement with a lack of tumours in other organs), histopathological lesions (oedema and infiltration of plasma cells), and no evidence of high load of MDV DNA, we concluded that those cases were due to peripheral neuropathy (PN). PN is an autoimmune disease easily misdiagnosed as MD, leading to a costly enforcement of the vaccination protocol. Additional vaccination against MD does not protect against PN and could worsen the clinical signs by over-stimulating the immune system. Differential diagnosis between PN and MD should always be considered in cases of neurological disease with enlargement of peripheral nerves as the only gross lesion. This case report shows for the first time how real-time PCR to detect oncogenic MDV is a very valuable tool in the differential diagnosis of PN and MD.

The acclimation mechanisms of two berry color variant grapevine leaves, Furmint White (FW) and Furmint Red (FR), to natural sunlight conditions were investigated comparing leaves from two distinct locations: at canopy surface (sun-exposed leaves) and in the inner layers (shaded leaves). We found that in contrast to FR leaves, sun-exposed FW leaves were thicker than shaded leaves due to thicker palisade tissues. Confocal laser scanning microscopy of Naturstoff-treated leaf segments revealed that flavonoids were accumulated in nuclei, cell walls, cytoplasm, and chloroplasts of the adaxial epidermal and palisade layers of sun-exposed leaves in both cultivars. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the main phenolic components in both cultivars were caftaric acid and various glycosylated flavonols. Among the latter, the dominant component was quercetin glucuronide in both cultivars, unaffected by light conditions. However, caftaric acid and quercetin glucoside were present in significantly higher amounts in sun-exposed than in shaded leaves of both cultivars, but the effect of light conditions on caftaric acid contents was more pronounced in FR than in FW. Accordingly, the total polyphenol content of leaf extracts characterized by Folin-reagent reactivity was more enhanced in sun-exposed leaves of FR, than in FW. Our data suggest two different sunlight acclimation strategies to protect photosynthetic mesophyll tissues from potential photo-oxidative damage. One is realized in FW leaves as stronger shading by thicker palisade layer accompanied by enhanced chemical defense. The other is achieved in FR leaves via a more pronounced increase in caftaric acid and total polyphenol content but without morphological adjustments.

Nanostructured indium tin oxide (ITO) powders and thin films differing in morphology and porosity were prepared by a sol–gel method. In3+ and Sn4+ were hydrolyzed in aqueous medium through the use of ethanolamine (EA) or sodium acetate (AC). X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated that both EA and AC furnished indium tin hydroxide, which became nanocrystalline after aging for one day. The indium tin hydroxide samples calcined at 550 °C afforded ITO with a cubic crystal structure, but the morphology differed significantly, depending on the agent used for hydrolysis. Electron microscopy revealed the formation of round monodisperse nanoparticles when AC was used, whereas the application of EA led to rod-like ITO nanoparticles. Both types of nanoparticles were suitable for the preparation of transparent and conductive ITO thin films. The influence of the morphology and porosity on the optical properties is discussed.

Titanate nanotubes were synthesized from TiO{sub 2} in alkaline medium by a conventional hydrothermal method (150 Degree-Sign C, 4.7 bar). To obtain hydrogen titanates, the as-prepared sodium titanates were treated with either HCl or H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} aqueous solutions. A simple synthesis procedure was devised for stable titanate nanotube sols without using any additives. These highly stable ethanolic sols can readily be used to prepare transparent titanate nanotube thin films of high quality. The resulting samples were studied by X-ray diffraction, N{sub 2}-sorption measurements, Raman spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The comparative results of using two kinds of acids shed light on the superior thermal stability of the H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}-treated titanate nanotubes (P-TNTs). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that P-TNTs contains P in the near-surface region and the thermal stability was enhanced even at a low ({approx}0.5 at%) concentration of P. After calcination at 500 Degree-Sign C, the specific surface areas of the HCl- and H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}-treated samples were 153 and 244 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}, respectively. The effects of H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} treatment on the structure, morphology and porosity of titanate nanotubes are discussed. - Graphical Abstract: TEM picture (left) showsmore » P-TNTs with diameters about 5-6 nm. Inset shows a stable titanate nanotube sol illuminated by a 532 nm laser beam. Due to the presence of the nanoparticles the way of the light is visible in the sol. Cross sectional SEM picture (right) as well as ellipsometry revealed the formation of optical quality P-TNT films with thicknesses below 50 nm. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} treatment led to TNTs with high surface area even after calcination at 500 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer H{sub 3}PO{sub 4}-treated TNTs preserved their nanotube morphology up to 500 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stable TNT sols can be prepared by the peptization of TNT gels. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-transparency TNT thin films of high quality were fabricated.« less

Indium tin hydroxide (ITH) xerogel powders and thin films with different polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) contents (0–22%, w/w) were prepared by a classical sol–gel method. To obtain nanocrystalline indium tin oxide (ITO), the ITH xerogels were calcined at 550 °C. The effect of the initial polymer content on the structure of the ITO powders was studied by means of N 2 -sorption measurements, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The N 2 -sorption measurements revealed that the ITO powders obtained contained micropores and both their porosity and specific surface area decreased with increasing PVP content of the ITH xerogels. The SAXS measurements confirmed the enhanced sintering of the particles in the presence of PVP. The calculated mass fractal dimensions of the ITO powders increased significantly, indicating a significant compaction in structure. The pre-sintered structure could be achieved at relatively low temperature, which induced a significant decreasing (three orders of magnitude) in the electrical resistance of the ITO films.

Conductive and highly transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared on photosensitive glass substrates by the combination of sol–gel and spin-coating techniques. First, the substrates were coated with amorphous Sn-doped indium hydroxide, and these amorphous films were then calcined at 550∘C to produce crystalline and electrically conductive ITO layers. The resulting thin films were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The measurements revealed that the ITO films were composed of spherical crystallites around 20 nm in size with mainly cubic crystal structure. The ITO films acted as antireflection coatings increasing the transparency of the coated substrates compared to that of the bare supports. The developed ITO films with a thickness of ∼170–330 nm were highly transparent in the visible spectrum with sheet resistances of 4.0–13.7 kΩ/sq. By coating photosensitive glass with ITO films, our results open up new perspectives in micro- and nano-technology, for example in fabricating conductive and highly transparent 3D microreactors.