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Ecologists and conservationists increasingly acknowledge that traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is vital for a better understanding and conservation of biodiversity; for example, for a more complex socioecological understanding of long-term processes, ecosystem resilience, the impacts of traditional management practices, and the worldviews underpinning these practices. To gain a deeper understanding of the ecological dimensions of TEK, ecologists and conservation biologists should conduct participatory long-term collaborative research on TEK. To conduct TEK research properly, however, ecologists need to familiarize themselves more deeply with the methodologies of social sciences, further develop their links with social scientists, and adopt new approaches, such as strengthening respect towards other knowledge systems and being inclusive in research and open to new types of validation.

Gabor Fekete academician respectfully but affectionately called ‘Master’ (“Tanar Ur” in Hungarian, a version of ‘Professor’ that we used with a specific meaning of being not only a Tutor but Father and Master as well) by generations of vegetation scientists passed away on the 29th November 2016. His death deprived us of an experienced and didactic teacher who was loved by all. This warm regard was expressed in many commemorating writings published since his death. The present paper mainly concentrates on his scholarly work and the importance of his scientific findings also showing how particular publications signify stages in his scientific career.

A method using DGA resin (N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyldiglycolamide on an inert support) was developed for the rapid analysis of actinides in urine samples. Samples acidified with HCl to 4 M were loaded directly (without digestion) onto a DGA column. Actinides were stripped simultaneously, α-sources were prepared by co-precipitation with NdF3. Americium, plutonium and uranium were separated with acceptable high recoveries (40–80%). The americium, plutonium and uranium content of 100–200 ml urine samples was determined within 24 h with detection limits as low as 0.01 Bq l−1. Based on model experiments using 14C-spiked urea, it was proven that high urea content can affect americium separation deleteriously due to irreversible fixing of americium on DGA resin.

The effects of ghrelin on vasopressin and oxytocin secretion were studied in 13-14-day cell cultures of isolated rat neurohypophyseal tissue. The vasopressin and oxytocin contents of the supernatant were determined by radioimmunoassay after a 1- or 2-h incubation. Significantly increased levels of vasopressin and oxytocin production were detected in the cell culture media following ghrelin administration, depending on the ghrelin doses. The oxytocin level proved to be more elevated than that of vasopressin. The increase of vasopressin and oxytocin secretion could be totally blocked by previous administration of the ghrelin receptor antagonist ([D-Lys3]-growth hormone-releasing peptide-6). Application of the ghrelin receptor antagonist after ghrelin administration proved ineffective. The results indicate that vasopressin and oxytocin release is influenced directly by the ghrelin system, and the effects of ghrelin on vasopressin and oxytocin secretion from the neurohypophyseal tissue in rats can occur at the level of the posterior pituitary. Our observations lend support to the view that neurohypophysis contains ghrelin receptors.

Many habitats in Europe have been managed by grazing for thousands of years. However, extensive grazing systems are becoming increasingly rare in the region, and there is a lack of understanding of the functioning of these systems. We carried out 147 structured interviews in 38 landscapes throughout the Carpathian Basin, with 3–5 informants/landscape. The number of actively grazing cattle, sheep and pigs, their year-round habitat use and the proportion of herds actively tended were documented for four characteristic historical periods (before, during and after socialist cooperatives and after EU Accession). The numbers of grazing cattle and sheep had decreased substantially by 2010 (by 71% and 49%, respectively), while pig grazing almost disappeared by the 1970s. Cattle primarily grazed habitats with taller vegetation. Sheep grazed dry pastures and stubbles, while pigs were driven into marshes and forests. In general, the importance of dry and wet grasslands increased, while the significance of marshes, stubble fields, vegetation along linear elements, second growth on hay meadows, wood-pastures and forests decreased over time. Approximately half of the grazed habitats were not typical pasture grasslands, and functioned as supplementary pastures during droughts, autumn and winter. The number of habitat types grazed per month per site dropped, and herding decreased substantially, in particular in the case of cattle and pigs. Contributing factors of the economic and social changes of the examined period included the collapse of the communist-era legal framework, the intensification of livestock husbandry, EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) regulations, and the rise of a nature conservation ethic. We conclude that agricultural policies should take into account the full spectrum of habitat types necessary for the effective operation of extensive grazing systems. We argue that conservation-oriented extensive grazing should use the traditional wisdom of herders but adapted to the present situations.

Phytogeographical regions have been set up traditionally on the basis of the flora. Several examples indicate that the potential natural vegetation is also suitable for this purpose although the flora- and vegetation-based boundaries do not necessarily overlap. We define a vegetation region as an area where the physical geographic features are rather uniform, and which consists of landscapes with floristically/structurally similar vegetation and/or their repetitive mosaics. In this paper, we delimited the boundaries of the Pannonian region based on the distribution of characteristic plant communities. The line runs most often on the border between Quercus cerris-Quercus petraea and Carpinus betulus/Fagus sylvatica dominated landscapes. We provided descriptions of the potential vegetation on both sides of the boundary. The region has an area of 167,012 km2. The region is either in direct contact with the neighboring regions (e.g., Western Carpathians), or is separated from them by transitional areas (towards the Eastern Alps), and character-poor areas with non-Pannonian, non-Alpine, non-Dinaric vegetation (in the southwest to the Western Balkan). Often, the boundary does not coincide with the boundary of the Pannonicum floristic province. We found that vegetation region boundaries can help reevaluate long-established floristic region boundaries. The boundary of the ’floristic Pannonian region’ also requires revision based on integrated distribution databases and statistical analyses. We argue that the method applied here is simple, repeatable and falsifiable. Our map provides an opportunity to the European Union to use a scientifically more sound biogeographical circumscription of the Pannonian region in her Natura 2000 and other programs.

Two novel technologies were applied in order to investigate concentration and formulation of anthocyanins for potential use in food industry. Integrated membrane process technology was applied for concentrating elderberry juice. In the first step, the juice was clarified by microfiltration, followed by a pre-concentration step with reverse osmosis. Finally, the juice was concentrated to the end concentration of 56 °Brix by osmotic distillation. The elderberry juice concentrate was formulated in a powderous form by a high-pressure process — Particles from Gas Saturated Solution (PGSS™) — using supercritical CO2. The applied carrier material was palm fat. The products with different anthocyanin-carrier ratios were measured for their colour properties (lightness, hue angle, and saturation). Colour stability was monitored for prolonged storage at different conditions (light/dark and ambient temperature/ refrigerator). The obtained powderous anthocyanin-palm fat products showed good colour stability, which giv...

A new procedure was developed for the separation of uranium, thorium, plutonium, neptunium and americium based on extraction chromatography using the N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyldiglycolamide sorbed onto Amberchrom CG-71 (available as DGA resin® from Triskem International). Radioactive waste samples were wet ashed, actinides were preconcentrated by coprecipitation with ferrous hydroxide. The dissolved precipitate was loaded from a reductive media on the column and the actinides were sequentially eluted changing the nature and the acidity of the eluents, the oxidation states of the given actinides, the concentration of the complexing agent, and the temperature. Alpha sources were prepared by micro-coprecipitation from the strip solutions without further processing. High recoveries and decontamination factors were obtained in each alpha source.

In this paper, we elaborated a new concept (the Regularities-Deviations-Uniqueness; RDU framework) to analyse regional vegetation patterns and applied it to the Pannonian region of the Carpathian Basin. We introduced three criteria, namely: distributional regularity, distributional deviation, and compositional uniqueness. Regularities conform to the pattern expected based on macroclimate and relief. Deviations are singular phenomena and are defined as the conspicuous departures from the regular pattern at odds with either zonal pattern (climate rules), or the repetitive extrazonal patterns (relief and meso-climate interactions). Endemic plant communities of the Pannonian region (defined by a unique species composition) are regarded as the unique features. The main regularities recognised for the Pannonian region are: (1) the altitudinal pattern of vegetation belts, (2) the horizontal zonation of the Dunantul, (3) the gradient of continentality along the mountain ranges, and (4) the circular zonality of the Nagyalfold. Deviations are mostly explained by local vegetation history, mesoclimate, and edaphic factors. The major deviations include (i) occurrence of mixed Pinus sylvestris forests in Őrseg, (ii) cool continental forest-steppe forests on Kisalfold, and Godollői-dombvidek, (iii) the direct contact of Fagus and Quercus pubescens forests (Bakony, Balatonfelvidek), (iv) the Fraxinus excelsior-Tilia spp. forests on rock outcrops, and (v) the Sphagnum bogs on the Alfold. Individuality of the Pannonian region is demonstrated by the endemic zonal forest-steppe forests and intrazonal endemic communities such as the Cerasus mahaleb-Quercus pubescens forests, and the vegetation on calcareous sand, dolomite and saline soils and the like. We argue that the introduced criteria are suitable for the entitation and description of other biogeographical regions, and offer useful tool for interregional comparisons.

Probability frequency spectra of the peak area, energy and width of the Barkhausen noise (BN) signals have been measured versus induction in a narrow induction window during traversing the magnetization loop from negative to positive saturation (and reverse) in Fe(75)Si(15)Nb(3)B(6)Cu(1) amorphous metallic glasses. It was obtained, that the noise power, as the function of the induction, B, showed a wide minimum at B = 0 and two sharp peaks around the knees of the magnetization loop. This can be a quite general feature of soft magnetic materials and can be related to the fact that at around the knees a mechanism, different from the domain motion in a random pinning field operates: new domains are created or existing domains are destroyed. Furthermore, it is also shown that the probability frequency of the duration, area and energy of the peaks are described by power function even far from the B = 0 point, but with higher exponents belonging to the stationary values obtained around B = 0. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2013458]

The emergence of large fortifications at the beginning of Early Iron Age reflects a change in settlements system. The current paper studies settlement sites along with metal finds, graves and graveyards from Late Bronze Age cultures to Early Iron Age/Hallstatt period in the Transylvanian Plateau.Our aim is to investigate the transformations and the dynamics of the settlements through cartographic documents and data relating to the landscape around the sites (using satellite images, aerial photographs and geophysical measurements) stored in a geographic information system.Modeling the territories of central Transylvanian prehistoric communities provides information about the division of space and possible land use strategies. The research is also based on the existing macro-regional palaeo-environmental data of Central North-Western Romania.We can state that the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age chiefdoms form peer polities controlling small territories along single or more valleys. Our approach represent...

Concentration of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) juice by combination of membrane processes was investigated. The pre-treatment steps were crushing, enzyme treatment, pressing and clarification by microfiltration (MF). Ceramic tube MF membrane was used at low pressure and temperature (3.9 bar and 30 °C).Nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) process with flatsheet membranes was studied to pre-concentrate the clarified and sterilized raspberry juice. The NF experiments were carried out at different flow-rates (400 l h−1 and 600 l h−1). Any significant effect of flow-rate was not experienced. Both pre-concentration processes were used at low temperature (30 °C) for a mild concentration of raspberry juice. For further concentration osmotic distillation (OD) was applied. The initial total soluble solid content of the raspberry juice was 8–10 °Brix, the final concentrate of OD was 70–80 °Brix.The membrane-, fouling- and the polarization layer resistance were determined in case of micro-, nanofiltration and r...

Charging behaviour of MNOS structures containing Ge nanocrytals embedded at the SiO2/Si3N4 interface are studied by experiments and by calculating tunnelling probabilities of electrons and holes to the conductance or valence band of the nitride layer, respectively, for structures with and without nanocrystals. It is concluded that the optimal charging behaviour of MNOS structures without nanocrystals can be expected for an oxide thickness of 2-3 nm. The presence of semiconductor nanocrystals at the SiO2/Si3N4 interface enhances strongly the tunnelling probability of electrons and holes for structures with thin oxide layers (2-3 nm) at low electric fields, but they do not influence the charging behaviour of structures at high electric fields. The results of calculations are in agreement with the experimental results obtained on MNOS structures with Ge nanocrystals. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A modified fire assay type analytical sample preparation method has been developed in order to extend iridium analysis of geological samples to the ppt level by neutron activation analysis (NAA). This method development was essential to trace a potential Ir signal at the Permian/Triassic boundary, the largest mass extinction event in the Phanerozoic history of Earth. The new analytical procedure was calibrated by several synthetic and natural standards and then applied for measuring the Ir profile in the continuous marine Permian/Triassic sedimentary sequence Balvany north, Bukk Mts., Hungary. The analytical problem of applying the method also on practically pure limestones has been overcome, adding extra SiO2 sand, to avoid the crucible being attacked by the fire assay flux. The nugget after the nickel fire-assay pre-concentration was identified by X-ray diffractometry and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS–SEM) as heazlewoodite (Ni3S2), hosting iridium in the form of pure metal inclusions, mainly of 2–5 μm size (EDS–SEM). Based on these observations, the filter size of the original preparation protocol was decreased to 0.2 μm, in order to get the highest yield for Ir in the analytical preparation process. By applying the new technique, we determined the iridium profile in the Balvany north section. The whole profile studied, except for the lowest 10 cm of the “boundary shale”, can be characterized of a several hundred ppt—up to one ppb Ir concentration. At the lowest part of the “boundary shale” the Ir content drops below 100 ppt. These values show no sign of any meteorite impact at this border section. The detailed geological interpretation of the high Ir background and the negative course Ir peak at the lithological border needs further studies.

From the cultural point of view, the Carpathian Basin resembled a mosaic during the circa 500 years of the Middle Bronze Age. Despite the fact that every community developed a specific material culture we still may speak about a so-called “tell society” in this period based on social and economical macro features. This is specific type of habitat in the region under study and the major part of the great Hungarian Plain, where a “cultural complex” characterized by the homogeneity of pottery and bronze metallurgy developed during the Middle Bronze Age.In the last decades, the problematic of the metallurgy of the Otomani communities became the subject of several archaeological studies written by Romanian scholars like Ivan Ordentlich, Nicolae Chidiosan, Tiberius Bader, Alexandru Vulpe etc. and colleagues from other countries too. Despite the undertaken research and the fact that the study of metallurgy was popular among Bronze Age scholars, a proper typological and chronological analysis of the discovered ar...

Biome interfaces are expected to exhibit chorological symmetry, i.e., decreasing trends in the number of species associated with each of the two neighbouring biomes as we progress from one into the other. Our aim was to test for such a pattern within the forest steppe biome, which is a transition zone in itself between the temperate deciduous forests and the steppe biome. Presence of chorological symmetry would provide indirect evidence for the prehuman presence of zonal steppes in the Carpathian basin. We also whished to provide an example with this analysis for drawing biogeographical conclusions based on quantitative species occurrence data, an information source hitherto neglected in Central Europe. Occurrence patterns of forest and steppe species were analysed at the Duna-Tisza koze (Danube-Tisza Interfluve) by the traditional qualitative biogeographic method and by hierarchical classification of predicted spatial pattern based on Generalized Linear Models with logistic link function. Species presenc...

Administration of glucose induces normally a decrease in serum potassium, though exceptionally a paradoxcial increase (PGIH) may occur. The effect of posture on glucose-induced serum potassium changes in health and disease has not been previously studied. We have investigated the influence of changes in body posture on the different serum potassium responses to glucose in various groups of 47 subjects. We have found a smaller decrease in serum potassium in the upright position than in the recumbent one in 20 healthy subjects and in 12 non-insulin dependent diabetics, but no significant difference in hyperthyroidism. The variable effect of posture on glucose-induced insulin secretion in the various groups of subjects did not provide explanation for the postural inhibition of the normal serum potassium response to glucose. A tendency to PGIH was found in a small number of diabetics. Although PGIH was completely reversed by DOC the normal postural difference between serum potassium curves was uneffected. It was concluded that change in the body posture has a definite influence on the glucose-induced decrease in serum potassium in normal people and is not mediated by insulin and/or aldosterone; PGIH develops in the upright position more easily than recumbency; exact serum potassium changes after glucose loading can be explored only by adequate standardization and carrying out both recumbent and upright measurements.

A combined radiochemical separation method has been developed that enables the simultaneous determination of 234U, 235U, 238U, 237Np, 239,240Pu, 238Pu, 241Am, 242Cm, and 244Cm in medium and low level liquid radioactive wastes. The main steps of the method are sample destruction, co-precipitation on iron(II)-hydroxide and calcium-oxalate, separation by extraction chromatography using supported dipentyl-pentyl phosphonate (UTEVA) and supported N,N-octylphenyl-di-i-butylcarbamoylmethyl phosphine oxide with tributyl phosphate (TRU), and α source preparation. The key parameter of the method is the adjustment of the oxidation states of the actinoides before adding the sample onto the UTEVA column. It has been determined that (NH4)2S2O8 can be used for oxidation state adjustment resulting sufficient chemical yields.

Decreasing diversity and plant cover, as well as increasing variability of these characteristics with increasing aridity are expected in grasslands due to climate change. These predictions were tested in perennial sand grasslands in Hungary. Two sites were chosen in different positions on an aridity gradient and two stands in each site were monitored for 9 years. Presence of plant species were recorded along 52 m long circular belt transects of 1040 units of 5 cm × 5 cm contiguous microquadrats. This sampling procedure — a version of line-intercept methods — enabled us to monitor diversity and total abundance in a sensitive, precise and non-destructive way. We found no trend but fluctuation in most community level attributes and in species composition. Contrary to fluctuations, between-site differences in diversity did not change and diversity remained lower in the more arid site during our 9-year-study. Compositional diversity performed better than species diversity because allowed us to detect vegetatio...

Clinicopathological features of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) differ from those of the classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Our aim was to examine clinical presentation, therapeutic and survival results of NLPHL patients in Hungary based on the data of two centres, and incidentally we analyzed the clinicopathological characteristics and differential diagnostic difficulties of this rare entity. We analyzed the clinical features, treatment and survival data of 536 Hodgkin lymphoma patients who had been diagnosed and primarily treated in our institutes between 1995 and 2004. Mean follow-up time was 82.7 (3–144) months of the total 536 HL patients. Sixteen (3%) of the patients were diagnosed with NLPHL, 93% of them presented with early-stage disease. None of the patients showed extranodal or splenic involvement or bulky disease. One patient received chemotherapy alone, six received only involved field radiotherapy while six underwent combined modality treatment. We applied watch and wait strategy in three cases. Overall response rate was 100% (93.75% complete). Two NLPHL cases transformed to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In contrast to the classical HL, the 10-year prognosticated overall survival rate was 100 vs. 82%, the event free survival was: 75% vs. 70%. In NLPHL group there were no late or multiple relapses and none of them died. Conclusions: NLPHL is a rare disease, thus these are limited experiences with its diagnosis and treatment. Since the disease has an excellent outcomeit is very important to prefer less toxic or local therapies to reach long term survival similar to that of the normal population.

Actual distribution maps of vegetation types are important data sources of basic and applied research, respectively. Though there were several attempts to map the actual vegetation of Hungary, the META program was the first to map all the (semi-)natural habitat types on the whole territory of Hungary. The paper discusses the woodland and shrubland habitats. 41 habitats are presented and discussed. The paper provides additional data on the area and distribution of the habitats mainly at the physical geographical macroregion scale.

Actual distribution maps of vegetation types are important data sources of basic and applied research, respectively. Though there were several attempts to map the actual vegetation of Hungary, the META program was the first to map all the (semi-)natural habitat types on the whole territory of Hungary. The paper discusses the habitats with treeless vegetation. 45 habitats are presented and discussed. The paper provides additional data on the area and distribution of the habitats mainly at the physical geographical macroregion scale.

Regeneration potential is regarded as a kind of functional indicator, which is applied for the assessment of the habitat quality and a kind of nature conservation value. In this context “quality” does not refer to the actual state but possibilities for the future. During the META project, regeneration potential have been recorded on the scale of the quadrates (35 km 2 , 2,813 quadrates in Hungary), for each habitat of the quadrate (ignoring some featureless habitats). We have estimated three different kinds of regeneration potential: on spot, on the place of neighbours and on old-fields open water, bare rock. The categories used were: good regeneration ability, moderate, low, or there is no place for regeneration.Values of regeneration potential on spot are usually rather high. Habitats with the highest regeneration potential are the aquatic ones, shrub vegetation, halophytic vegetation, marshes, grasslands with woodland origin, sand poplar-juniper woodlands, and the poorest is the regeneration potential ...

The survey results of the META program are managed with centralised relational database management system (MS SQL 2000) developed and set up in a local area network. Besides the META database server, a publishing server, an archiving server and a GIS workstation were applied. The core information entities of the META database are: information subproject, META quadrate, META hexagon, (semi-)natural habitat, potential vegetation with numerous habitats, landscape ecology and land use attributes, and surveyor. This information is coded in the nine main tables of the normalised database. In the recent state there are almost 1,500,000 records in the main tables that are managed in 241 independent fields. The published version of the META database supports the query service, and handles this information in 7 denormalised main tables. This much more redundant version is 11 GB in size. The 20.6% (179 man-month) of the human resources in the META program were devoted to the information tasks (set up and preparation, META database and information system development, replenishment and quality assessment, META query, GIS and printing services) between 2002 and 2007. The basic structure of the META database version 1.2 is finalised and the main functions regarding data processing have been developed. The accomplishment is higher than 90%, quality assessment is under way, while scientific verification and data harmonisation are started. The area of (semi-)natural and degraded vegetation of Hungary is estimated to 1,800,000 hectares (19.4% of the country) of which the natural, semi-natural is about 1,200,000 hectares (12.9% of the country). All of these are highly fragmented and unevenly distributed over the country. It is shown by several basic figures, professional content and quality measure facts of the database. There is also a fact sheet of surveyors that shapes the important characters of their field experience profile, too.

In this paper we present an implementation of the natural capital index (NCI), a highly aggregated policy-relevant biodiversity indicator for Hungary, based on the META database, a detailed field-based vegetation database with a habitat quality attribute. To this end, we introduce two different weighting schemes for the field-estimated META values, both rooted in the concept of ecosystem services: a linear “equal steps” (NCI lin ) and an exponential (NCI exp ) weighting scheme. The natural capital index of Hungary and its physical geographical regions are calculated and presented from both aspects. The national NCI lin is 9.9% (indicating an overall 90% loss in the availability of the major supporting ecosystem services), and NCI exp is 3.2% (indicating an even greater degree of loss in terms of the conservation of rare species). The geographical regions of Hungary exhibit considerable spatial variation, which reveals important information on their basic characteristics (e.g. agricultural potential) and l...

Effective conservation of (semi-)natural habitats needs knowledge on the naturalness, the actual quality of a habitat or vegetation patch. Nevertheless, there are only a few studies have been published in this topic so far. During the META project, between 2002–2005, we have surveyed the semi-natural vegetation of Hungary and assessed the naturalness of the predefined 86 habitat types. In this paper we present the country scale analysis on the naturalness of these habitat types. We compared the naturalness of the individual habitat types and also habitat groups, as well as the naturalness of the physical macroregions of Hungary. Euhydrophyte habitats and habitats deserving high abiotic stress are the most natural ones, while secondary shrublands, uncharacteristic forests and grasslands are the less natural. For the forest habitats we compared and discussed the naturalness values given by the META mappers and the values gained in the TERMERD (assessing forest naturalness in Hungary) project. In case of reg...

The increased endangerment and rapid devastation of the vegetation on the Danube–Tisza Interfluve are quite complex processes that can be approached from a manifold ways. One of the most important factors having influenced the vegetation in the recent past is the decline of the groundwater-level, the extent of which is well known and the reasons for that have been investigated for a long time. However, only few have studied its dramatic effect on the vegetation outside the local scale. In the first part of our bipartite article we discuss the regional habitat-pattern of the landscape, the background factors determining it, and the basic features of fen and alkali vegetation (Biro et al. 2007). In this second part, this will be completed by the sand, riverine and steppe vegetation and the data on habitat devastation on the regional scale. The analysis of the present habitat-pattern of the region was based on data of the actual (1996–2000) habitat map of Danube–Tisza Interfluve (Molnar et al. 2000, Biro et al. 2003) and on our experiences during the field survey. The quantitative analysis of the vegetation pattern was carried out considering the vegetation subregions. Our aim is to expose the actual state of the landscape, the vegetation and the rapid devastation of the natural habitats, by quantifying the current processes. Our results demonstrate that the extension of those habitats on the Danube–Tisza Interfluve that were not under cultivation in the 1980s has decreased drastically, by 40,074 ha (approx. 15%). The main reasons for grassland devastations are ploughing, afforestation, the invasion of shrubs and trees, the building in activity and the establishment of open water surfaces. The most serious decline in the recent past was observed in the case of fen vegetation: the decrease of its extension was estimated to be 10–11%. More than half of the habitats disappeared as a result of ploughing and grassland-devastation due to urbanisation (building in, development of infrastructure, etc.) was covered by fen vegetation, while about a quarter of them consisted of alkali habitats. Sand areas mostly decline because of the spontaneous invasion of alien species and afforestation, which led to the devastation of approx. 4% of the natural and disturbed sand vegetation. Astonishing is the fact that the to

Due to the global land use and climate change, endangerment of natural vegetation is increasing. That is why the threatening factors were documented in details during the META mapping. We have documented the impacts of water management, land use (management of woodlands and grasslands), the invasive species, urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and the neighbourhood, as well. In the present article (1) we evaluate the actual state of the habitats by the 28 threat types documented during the META mapping; (2) we introduce 12 newly developed indicators, which were applied for the semi-quantitative comparison of the overall degree of endangerment of the Hungarian habitats.Based on the summarisation of our results the most seriously endangered habitats in Hungary are as follows: sand and loess steppe oak woodlands (M2, M4, L2x), tussock sedge communities (B4), extensive orchards (P7), closed lowland oak woodlands (L5, L6), water-fringing and fen tall herb communities (D5), wooded pastures (P45), vegetation of ...

The first version of the map of the Hungarian vegetation-based landscape regions were prepared at the scale of 1: 200,000 (1 km or higher resolution). The primary goal of the map was to provide an exact background for the presentation and evaluation of the data of the META database. Secondly, we intended to give an up-to-date and detailed vegetation-based division of Hungary with a comprehensive nomenclature of the regions. Regions were primarily defined on the basis of their present zonal vegetation, or their dominant extrazonal or edaphic vegetation. Where this was not possible, abiotic factors that influence the potential vegetation, the flora were taken into consideration, thus, political and economical factors were ignored. All region borders were defined by local expert botanists, mainly based on their field knowledge. The map differs in many features from the currently used, country-wide, flora-or geography-based divisions in many features. We consider our map to be temporary (i.e. a work map), and...

Effective conservation of (semi-)natural grasslands requires an understanding of the factors affecting naturalness (i.e. the actual quality of a habitat or vegetation patch) and the importance of the particular factors. Both local or patch and landscape or matrix variables affect habitat quality, and the proportions of the effects need to be identified. Therefore, we performed a hypothesis generating and testing analysis with generalised linear models on three typical grassland habitat types (forest steppe meadows, Artemisia alkali steppes, and lowland wet meadows), differing in their fragmentation, ecology and history, and representing characteristic types of grassland habitats with the use of the national database of the vegetation of Hungary (META). Our results, in general, show that naturalness depends upon both intra-habitat and matrix attributes: presence or proportion of other habitat types in the surrounding landscape, threatening factors and landscape ecological attributes. Higher number of habit...

Samples of high alloy Stainless Steel SS 1 were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) at 5 research institutes in 4 European countries within the frame of an Inter-Laboratory Comparison (ILC) exercise aiming at checking if the results were independent of the standardization methods, and if INAA was accurate enough to contribute to certification. The mean element concentration values yielded by INAA were also compared with mean values obtained by atomic emission spectroscopy techniques at other laboratories that took part in the International Proficiency Testing organized by KIMAB Institute of Sweden, producer of the SS 1. The performances of the nuclear and atomic techniques were compared in terms of the z-score values calculated for 11 element concentrations evaluated by the two analytical ways. Finally, consideration is given to the ways in which highest accuracy and precision can be ensured for certifying stainless steels as CRMs.

As a result of the groundwater level decline observed in the last two decades and the socio-economic changes, we assume that a drastic alteration begins in the landscape pattern of Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Duna-Tisza koze, Kiskunsag s. l.). It demands the documentation of the actual state of vegetation in this region, and its quantitative analysis, as well. In the first of the two articles presenting our results we discuss the regional habitat-pattern of the landscape, the background factors determining it, and the basic features of fen and alkali vegetation. In the second part, this will be completed by the sand, riverine and steppe vegetation and the data on habitat-devastation on the regional scale.During our study we determined the Danube-Tisza Interfluve (with a total extension of nearly 1.4 million ha) in the geographical sense. The analysis of the present habitat-pattern of the region was based on data of the actual (1996–2000) habitat map of Danube-Tisza Interfluve (Molnar et al. 2000, Biro et al....

N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine, chito-oligomers and carbon starvation regulated chiA, chiB, and nagA gene expressions in Aspergillus nidulans cultures. The gene expression patterns of the main extracellular endochitinase ChiB and the N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase NagA were similar, and the ChiB-NagA enzyme system may play a morphological and/or nutritional role during autolysis. Alterations in the levels of reactive oxygen species or in the glutathione-glutathione disulfide redox balance, characteristic physiological changes developing in ageing and autolyzing fungal cultures, did not affect the regulation of either the growth-related chiA or the autolysis-coupled chiB genes although both of them were down-regulated under diamide stress. The transcription of the chiC gene with unknown physiological function was repressed by increased intracellular superoxide concentration.

Several metals are suspected or known to be involved in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), therefore, elemental distribution studies have received intense attention for years. The present work focuses on a group of lesser studied elements in this context, alkali metals. Previously, an adequate neutron activation analysis (NAA) method has been developed and applied successfully for the determination of Na, K, Rb and Cs in brain samples of control subjects. This work has been extended to include AD patients, so that average values, distribution patterns and interpersonal variability could be compared and possible correlation between control and AD data could be studied. Despite the merits of the technique, its drawbacks are evident. Therefore, applicability of rapid spectrochemical methods as alternatives has been investigated. ICP-AES has been used for analysis of Li, Na and K. No interferences were observed, but ultrasonic nebulisation was needed for Li quantification. Rb and Cs were measured by ICP-MS with In as internal standard. Agreement between different techniques is found to be good for Na, K and Rb, while Cs values show somewhat higher differences.

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been used at the research reactor of the Institute of Nuclear Techniques for measuring different types of samples for many years. For standardization purposes, the single comparator method has been applied. Since the theoretical basis of NAA is well understood, the sources of uncertainty can be well estimated, detailed uncertainty calculations have been recently performed to meet the increasing demands for method validation. INAA was validated by the analyses of sets of reference materials (RM), selectivity was controlled, accuracy and precision of the method as well as linearity, detection limits and measuring ranges were determined. Under the conditions of QA/QC, NAA can meet the high demands of trace element analysis.

The occurrence of treatment-related second malignancy following Hodgkin's disease (HD) has now been recognized as a major problem. The purpose of this study was to review our experience with second malignancies in patients treated for Hodgkin's disease, comparing the results with the international literature data. Six hundred and sixty five patients with HD were treated in our department, between 1978 and 1996. Second neoplasm developed in 32 cases (4.8%). Seven secondary hematological malignancies were observed: four acute nonlymphocytic leukemias, two non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and one chronic myeloid leukemia. Among patients with second hematological malignancies, the mean age at diagnosis of HD was 44 years and the mean interval until the development of second malignancy was 6.1 years. Five patients received chemo- and radiotherapy and in two cases chemotherapy was used. Three of the seven patients are alive. Twenty-five patients have had solid tumors, affecting lung (5), breast (3), colon (3), stomach (2), urinary bladder (2), head-and-neck (1), thyroid gland (1), esophagus (1), liver (1), pancreas (1), furthermore, three sarcomas and two malignant melanomas were observed. Their mean age at the diagnosis of HD was 46 years and the mean period of latency was 8.3 years. Chemotherapy was applied to nine patients, 16 patients received both chemo- and radiotherapy. Eleven patients had solid tumors in the region irradiated earlier. Ten out of the 25 patients are alive, three patients' present state is unknown. Since alkylating agents increase the risk of leukemia and irradiation contributes mainly to other malignancies, future treatment protocols should attempt to reduce the most serious consequence of therapy without compromising the survival. It is necessary to investigate the impact of additional risk factors. Careful, lifelong observation is indicated for patients with HD, with special attention given to new clinical signs and symptoms.

In the execution of disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes, it is important to evaluate accurately the kind and quantity of each radionuclide in the wastes. For such an evaluation, correlation of non-gamma-emitting nuclides based on gamma-emitting nuclides is recommended and regarded as a practical method. This method necessitates a completion of a highly accurate and reliable nondestructive assay system of gamma-emitting nuclides for practical use. In 1992, in support of the new waste disposal program in Hungary, Paks NPP initiated a waste characterization program to determine the radiological properties of its radwastes. A segmented gamma scanning system has been set up to measure the gamma-emitting nuclides in 200 litre low level drums following in-drum compaction. In the framework of the program a radiochemical analysis sub-program was started to determine the long-lived non-gamma emitting radionuclides, mainly those listed in the US regulatory document (10CFR61). The radionuclides of interest have been3H,14C,90Sr,55Fe,59Ni,99Tc,129I and TRUs. Sample preparation techniques and measurement methods have been selected and used. Newly developed or adopted methods have been tested on real liquid radwaste streams such as concentrates, ion-exchange resin and sludge. The measurements taken so far have revealed brand new information and data on radiological composition of waste of WWER-type reactors. In the next stage of the characterisation program attempt will be made for providing correlation factors between the gamma and non-gamma-emitting radionuclides in different waste streams. Short description of the methods and results on waste inventory are given by highlighting the problem areas.

In Hungary a countrywide vegetation mapping project carried out between 2003 and 2006 provided immense, detailed data on the current status of the forest-steppe vegetation (META database). In addition, two fundamentally important historical sources from the late eighteenth century have been analyzed recently. Using these sources we reconstruct and evaluate the past history and current status, and forecast the expected future of the vegetation types within the forest-steppe zone.

The Alcsutdoboz-2 (AD-2) core contains 12 magmatic dykes which belong to the Late Cretaceous lamprophyric-carbonatitic association of NE Transdanubia, Hungary. Petrographically, 11 dykes can be considered alkaline lamprophyre (mainly monchiquite), and the remainder might be called carbonatite. The lamprophyre dykes are similar to both alkaline lamprophyres and ultramafic lamprophyres in major element composition, whereas the carbonatite dyke has some features that are similar to carbonatites but others that are dissimilar. Nevertheless, both of the two types of AD-2 dykes possess higher LILE content than the ultramafc lamprophyres and kimberlites, but strongly differ from average carbonatite. Based on the REE pattern, crystal fractionation (mainly of olivine) and separation of a carbonate phase from the parental lamprophyric magma are proposed for genesis of the carbonatite dyke. These characteristics and the compositional zoning of clinopyroxene and mica suggest a complex crystallization history for these dykes. The likeliest origin for the parental lamprophyric melt is through a very small degree of partial melting of metasomatized mantle.

The bulk formation of yeast-like (arthrospore-like) cells were typical in carbon-depleted submerged cultures of the high beta-lactam producer Penicillium chrysogenum NCAIM 00237 strain independently of the nitrogen-content of the culture medium. This morphogenetic switch was still quite common in carbon-starving cultures of the low-penicillin-producer strain P. chrysogenum ATCC 28089 (Wis 54-1255) when the nitrogen-content of the medium was low but was a very rare event in wild-type P. chrysogenum cultures. The mycelium--yeast-like cell transition correlated well with a relatively high glutathione concentration and a reductive glutathione/glutathione disulfite (GSH/GSSG) redox balance in autolysing cultures, which was a consequence of industrial strain development. Paradoxically, the development of high beta-lactam productivity resulted in a high intracellular GSH level and, concomitantly, in an increased y-glutamyltranspeptidase (i.e. GSH-decomposing) activity in the autolytic phase of growth of P. chrysogenum NCAIM 00237. The hypothesized causal connection between GSH metabolism and cell morphology, if verified, may help us in future metabolic engineering of industrially important filamentous fungi.

Selective analysis of radionuclides of high atomic number is often required in environmental and/or waste assays due to their great health physics importance, that is, high internal dose conversion factor (IAEA [1]). These nuclides are alpha- and beta emitters, their instrumental analysis is generally difficult owing to their low gamma emission rate. As there are well- known constraints of alpha- and beta-spectrometry, the effective radiochemical separation of these nuclides (Th, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm radioisotopes) is unavoidable. Furthermore an effective separation procedure should be applied simultaneously for all possible radioisotopes as most samples are taken as solids so the homogeneity of replicates usually cannot be assumed.

The mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a very indolent disease. Its most common site is the stomach. The lymphoma begins as a reactive lymphocyte accumulation mostly due to an infection of Helicobacter pylori (HP). Through repeated mutations this tissue is transformed into the characteristic MALT lymphoma. At the time of the diagnosis the lymphoma is usually localised, but in one third of the patients the disease has already been disseminated. There are not any commonly accepted guidelines of therapy concerning this primary gastric MALT lymphoma, but certain general tendencies have already been defined. In the early disease the aim of the treatment is curative with the preservation of the stomach as much as possible. In a considerable number of cases, when the surface of the stomach is affected by HP, one can achieve histological and molecular biologic remission after eliminating the bacteria. However, there is no such therapeutic consequence to be expected in case of a deeply invasive tumour. The optimal treatment of patients of this group as well as those whose disease is resistant to HP eradication treatment together with those who are HP negative is radiotherapy or surgery with chemotherapy. In this latter case quality of life becomes worse. In an advanced case cure is impossible and chemotherapy is the most effective to ease the patient's state.