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Coals mined in the Transdanubian region in Hungary have an elevated concentration of 226Ra, which becomes enriched in the slag after burning. This slag has been used as filling andlor insulating material in building works. The aim of this study was to investigate the radiological situation in this territory in terms of the possible impact of this residual material from coal. Flats in three towns with a coal mine and a coal-fired power plant operating in their neighbourhood were examined. The radionuclide contents (including 226Ra, 232Th and 40K) of the slag used for building were determined, and the slags were categorised according to the international standards and recommendations. The external gamma dose rate and the radon concentration in the sites were measured, and based on these data dose assessments were made. The 226Ra concentration of the slag was 160-2893 Bq kg-1 the indoor gamma dose rates were 82-633 nGy h-1; the radon concentration measured with a nuclear track detector varied from 29 to 1310 Bq m-3 the assessed dose contributions in the three towns were 0.65-1.57 mSv y-1 due to gamma radiation and 2.2-15.2 mSv y-1 due to radon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormalities of the systemic blood pressure are closely associated with the development of diabetic nephropathy. Our aim was to examine the relationship between diurnal blood pressure pattern and albuminuria in insulin-dependent normotensive diabetic patients before the development of overt nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This work investigated the impact of chicken egg size, including surface area and initial weight, on the effectiveness of cassava starch-based gel coating during storage at room temperature. The quality of a total of 540 fresh eggs in four different sizes (S, M, L and XL) was evaluated over a 4-week storage period at 25 ± 1 °C (60-65% RH). In this research, images from a scanning electron microscope revealed that the coatings maintained their integrity across all egg sizes, effectively covering pores and cracks throughout storage. The application of gel coating reduced weight loss and preserved the Haugh unit and yolk index, extending freshness by 1-2 weeks compared with uncoated eggs at 25 °C. The results indicated that the performance of the coating varied with egg size. Statistical analysis revealed that the surface area and initial weight of the egg significantly impacted the effectiveness of the coating in preserving quality ( p < 0.001). Eggs with larger surface areas exhibited a reduced protective effect of the coating, resulting in higher weight loss and lower retention of Haugh unit and yolk index compared with the coated eggs with smaller surface areas. The coating application was more effective in preserving the Haugh unit of eggs with higher initial weights. Overall, the surface area and the initial weight of the egg should be considered as key factors to ensure optimal coating performance.

Human orf disease (called ecthyma contagiosum or contagious/infectious pustular dermatitis in animals) was confirmed on the fingers of both hands of a 24-year-old female, after feeding diseased lambs with a nursing bottle in April 2023. In addition to skin symptoms, she had low-grade fever (37.6°C) and swollen lymph nodes in both axilla. The presence of orf virus (genus Parapoxvirus, family Poxviridae) was confirmed, and this strain, Baja/2023/HUN (OR372161-OR372163), was found to have > 98% nucleotide sequence identity to sheep-origin orf viruses in four tested genome regions (ORF011/B2L, ORF019, ORF020/VIR, and ORF056). This is the first report of a human case of infection with the neglected zoonotic orf virus in Hungary., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Grape production worldwide is increasingly threatened by grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs). No grapevine cultivar is known to be entirely resistant to GTDs, but susceptibility varies greatly. To quantify these differences, four Hungarian grape germplasm collections containing 305 different cultivars were surveyed to determine the ratios of GTDs based on symptom expression and the proportion of plant loss within all GTD symptoms. The cultivars of monophyletic Vitis vinifera L. origin were amongst the most sensitive ones, and their sensitivity was significantly ( p < 0.01) higher than that of the interspecific (hybrid) cultivars assessed, which are defined by the presence of Vitis species other than V. vinifera (e.g., V. labrusca L., V. rupestris Scheele, and V. amurensis Rupr.) in their pedigree. We conclude that the ancestral diversity of grapes confers a higher degree of resilience against GTDs.

Forest management integrating nature conservation aspects into timber production focuses increasingly on small-scale interventions. However, the ecological consequences of gap cuttings remain ambiguous in oak-dominated forests. In the Pilis Gap Experiment, we analyze how combinations of different gap shapes (circular and elongated), and gap sizes (150 m 2 and 300 m 2 ) affect the microclimate and biota of a mature sessile oak-hornbeam forest in Hungary. We first report the changes in direct and diffuse light, soil moisture, daily air and soil temperatures, and relative air humidity in the experimental cuttings in the vegetation season directly following their implementation. Diffuse light had a central maximum and a concentric pattern. Direct light was distributed along a north-south gradient, with maxima in northern gap parts. Soil moisture was determined by gap shape: it increased significantly in the center of circular gaps, with multiple local maxima in the southern-central parts of large circular gaps. Its pattern was negatively related to direct light, and larger spatial variability was present in circular than in elongated gaps. The daily mean air temperatures at 1.3 m increased in all, especially in large gaps. Soil and ground-level temperatures remained largely unchanged, reflecting on light and soil moisture conditions affecting evaporative cooling. Relative humidity remained unaltered. Even though the opening of experimental gaps changed microclimatic conditions immediately, effect sizes remained moderate. Gap size and gap shape were both important determinants of microclimate responses: gap size markedly affected irradiation increase, gap shape determined soil moisture surplus, while soil and air temperatures, and air humidity depended on both components of the gap design. We conclude that 150-300 m 2 sized management-created gaps can essentially maintain forest microclimate while theoretically providing enough light for oak regeneration; and that the manipulation of gap shape and gap size within this range are effective tools of adaptive management., 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 © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The dermoscope was initially used in dermatology to distinguish between pigmented and nonpigmented tumors, both benign and malignant. Over the last two decades, however, the spectrum of dermoscopy has broadened and its role in the diagnosis of nonneoplastic diseases, in particular inflammatory skin diseases, has become increasingly important. In the diagnosis of general and inflammatory skin diseases, it is recommended that dermoscopic evaluation should be performed after clinical examination. In the following summary, the dermoscopic features of the most common inflammatory skin diseases are described. Among the detailed parameters are the vascular structures, color, scaling, follicular findings, and specific signs associated with each disease., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Modern consumer expectations have become highly diversified: they want more opportunities to meet diverse family needs (diversity of family members in age, gender, physical activity, etc. ,) and individual health goals with a huge variety of sensorial preferences. Our research is aimed to develop a protein-dense, highly bioactive, lactose- and whey protein-free beverage applying a central composite rotational design (CCRD) with 2 factors. For this purpose, an egg white-based beverage was flavored with mixed berries (factor A) and enriched with bovine collagen peptides (factor B). After suitable sample preparation, the rheological properties were investigated by an Anton Paar MCR 92 rheometer (with CC 27 system, and flow behavior was analyzed with a Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) model). The antioxidant capacity of samples was investigated by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method, the total anthocyanin content was estimated based on a spectrophotometric method, and the total phenolic content was determined by the Folin Ciocalteu method. Our results are figured on response surfaces demonstrating that both factors and their interactions show a positive correlation with the examined parameters. Based on the CCRD, all investigated parameters are significantly influenced by at least one aspect and can be adequately estimated for further product development., Competing Interests: CN was employed by Capriovus Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Varga-Tóth, Németh, Dalmadi, Csurka, Csorba, Elayan, Enkhbold, Hidas and Friedrich.)

In this study, sonication with mild heat treatment was used to reduce the E. coli count in inoculated liquid whole egg, egg yolk and albumen. Ultrasonic equipment (20/40 kHz, 180/300 W) has been used for 30/60 min with a 55 °C water bath. The combination of sonication and low-heat treatment was able to reduce the concentration of E. coli from 5-log CFU × mL -1 below 10 CFU × mL -1 at 300 W, 40 kHz and 60 min of sonication in liquid egg products. The 60 min treatment was able to reduce the E. coli concentration below 10 CFU × mL -1 in the case of egg yolk regardless of the applied frequency, absorbed power or applied energy dose. The 30 min treatment of sonication and heating was able to reduce significantly the number of E. coli in the egg products, as well. Our results showed that sonication with mild heat treatment can be a useful technique to decrease the number of microorganisms in liquid egg products to a very low level. Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate structural changes in the samples, induced by the combined treatment. Principal component analysis showed that this method can alter the C-H, C-N, -OH and -NH bonds in these egg products.

Ingenol mebutate (IM) is highly effective in the treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced anogenital warts (AGW) leading to fast ablation within hours. However, the exact mode of action is still largely unknown. We performed dermoscopy, in vivo confocal microscopy (CLM), histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence to gain insights in mechanisms of IM treatment in AGW. In addition, we used in vitro assays (ELISA, HPV-transfection models) to further investigate in vivo findings. IM treatment leads to a strong recruitment of neutrophils with thrombosis of small skin vessels within 8 h, in a sense of immunothrombosis. In vivo and in vitro analyses showed that IM supports a prothrombotic environment by endothelial cell activation and von Willebrand factor (VWF) secretion, in addition to induction of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETosis). IM superinduces CXCL8/IL-8 expression in HPV-E6/E7 transfected HaCaT cells when compared to non-infected keratinocytes. Rapid ablation of warts after IM treatment can be well explained by the observed immunothrombosis. This new mechanism has so far only been observed in HPV-induced lesions and is completely different from the mechanisms we see in the treatment of transformed keratinocytes in actinic keratosis. Our initial findings indicate an HPV-specific effect, which could be also of interest for the treatment of other HPV-induced lesions. Larger studies are now needed to further investigate the potential of IM in different HPV tumors.

Thanks to the polymer revolution of the 20th century, plastics are now part of our everyday lives. We use plastics as naturally as if they had always been an integral part of our lives. However, in the recent past, we were still predominantly using wood, metal, and glass objects, which were replaced by plastic products at an explosive rate. In many cases, this replacement has resulted in products with better physical, chemical, or biological properties. The changeover was too rapid, and the consequences were not recognized in time. This is evidenced by the huge scale of plastic pollution worldwide today. It is therefore in the interests of the future of both humans and animals that we must pay particular attention to the direct and indirect environmental impact of plastics introduced in animal husbandry. Starting from the tetrafunctional initiator produced as the first step of my work, poly( n -butyll acrylate) star polymers of different molecular weights were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization, using the so-called "core first" method. The bromine chain end of the produced star polymers was replaced by an azide group using a substitution reaction. Propalgyl telechelic PEGs were synthesized as a result of lattice end modification of poly(ethylene glycol) with different molecular weights. The azidated star polymers were connected with propalgyl telechelic PEGs using Huisgen's "click" chemical process, and as a result of the "click" connection, amphiphilic polymer networks with several different structures were obtained.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None.

A sterically stabilized unilamellar nanocarrier vesicle (SSV) system containing dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, ursolic acid and PEGylated phospholipid has been developed by exploiting the structural advantages of ursolic acid: by spontaneously attaching to the lipid head groups, it induces curvature at the outer side of the bilayers, allowing the preparation of size-limited vesicles without extrusion. Ursolic acid (UA) also interacts with the PEG chains, supporting steric stabilization even when the amount of PEGylated phospholipid is reduced. Using fluorescence immunohistochemistry, vesicles containing ursolic acid (UA-SSVs) were found to accumulate in the tumor in 3 h on xenografted mouse, suggesting the potential use of these vesicles for passive tumor targeting. Further on, mono- and combination therapy with UA and six different kinase inhibitors (crizotinib, erlotinib, foretinib, gefitinib, refametinib, trametinib) was tested on seven cancer cell-lines. In most combinations synergism was observed, in the case of trametinib even at very low concentration (0.001 μM), which targets the MAPK pathway most often activated in human cancers. The coupled intercalation of UA and trametinib (2:1 molar ratio) into vesicles causes further structural advantageous molecular interactions, promoting the formation of small vesicles. The high drug:lipid molar ratio (~0.5) in the novel type of co-delivery vesicles enables their direct medical application, possibly also overcoming the multidrug resistance effect., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The strength and geometry of adsorption of substituted phenylpyruvates on silver surface was studied by means of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using silver sol. 2'-nitrophenylpyruvates were used as starting materials in a newly developed heterogeneous catalytic asymmetric cascade reaction to produce substituted quinoline derivatives. Substituents on the aromatic ring of the starting materials had significant influence on the yield of the desired quinoline derivatives. Product selectivity of the transformation of nitrophenylpyruvates were enhanced by the acid added. The geometry and the strength of the adsorption are assumed to play an important role in the outcome of this reaction, so we have tried to find correlation between the structure of adsorbed phenylpyruvates and their catalytic performance. Based on the results of our spectroscopic measurements, the enol form is predominant in the series of phenylpyruvates in solid form and methanol solutions. Stronger adsorption of phenylpyruvates in acidic media through oxygen atoms was indicated by the increased enhancement in the SERS spectrum. The nitro group of 2'-nitrophenylpyruvates has no direct role in the adsorption on Ag surface. This observation has explained why the hydrogenation of the keto group (presumably via the enol form) occurs preferentially and why the formation of the undesired indole derivatives requiring reduction of the nitro group is suppressed. The SERS behavior has helped to get a closer look on the first step of adsorption of starting materials contributing to a better understanding of the cascade reaction studied, thus providing a better flexibility in catalyst design., 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 © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

To secure the ecosystem services forests provide, it is important to understand how different management practices impact various components of these ecosystems. We aimed to uncover how silvicultural treatments affected the ground-dwelling spider communities during the first five years of a forest ecological experiment. In an oak-hornbeam forest stand, five treatments, belonging to clear-cutting, shelterwood and continuous cover forestry systems, were implemented using randomised complete block design. Spiders were sampled by pitfall traps, and detailed vegetation, soil and microclimate data were collected throughout the experiment. In the treatment plots spider abundance and species richness increased marginally. Species composition changes were more pronounced and treatment specific, initially diverging from the control plots, but becoming more similar again by the fifth year. These changes were correlated mostly to treatment-related light intensity and humidity gradients. The patchy implementation of the treatments induced modest increase in both gamma and beta diversity of spiders in the stand. Overall, spiders gave a prompt and species specific response to treatments that was by the fifth year showing signs of relatively quick recovery to pre-treatment state. At the present fine scale of implementation the magnitude of changes was not different among forestry treatments, irrespective of their severity., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Discrimination and species identification of meat has always been of paramount importance in the European meat market. This is often achieved using different conventional analytical methods but advanced sensor-based methods, such as the electronic tongue (e-tongue), are also gaining attention for rapid and reliable analysis. The aim of this study was to discriminate Angus, domestic buffalo, Hungarian Grey, Hungarian Spotted cattle, and Holstein beef meat samples from the chuck steak part of the animals, which mostly contained longissimus dorsi muscles, using e-tongue as a correlative technique with conventional methods for analysis of pH, color, texture, water activity, water-holding capacity, cooking yield, water binding activity, and descriptive sensory analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine significant differences between the measured quality traits of the five-meat species after analysis with conventional analytical methods. E-tongue data were visualized with principal component analysis (PCA) before classifying the five-meat species with linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Significant differences were observed among some of the investigated quality parameter. In most cases, Hungarian Grey was most different from the other species. Using e-tongue, separation patterns could be observed in the PCA that were confirmed with 100% recognition and 97.5% prediction of all the different meat species in LDA.