A contested foundation of European integration : The free movement of labour

Since the eastern enlargement of the European Union (EU), the movement from east to west has become the main driver of intra-EU mobility. Recently, the free movement of labour has been contested not only in the debates around Brexit, but also in other receiving countries. It is not on the political agenda, but several studies have highlighted the economic and demographic effects of massive emigration in eastern EU Member States. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the functioning of free movement. Economic integration theory assumes that migration continues until wages are equalized in the receiving and sending countries. This paper analyses the perception of intra-EU mobility in the literature and empirically tests whether there is a relationship between the dynamism of income growth in the receiving (Germany, Austria and Spain) and sending (Central and Eastern European) countries, and the dynamism of migration. The empirical results do not support the neoclassical assumption that an equalization mechanism can function, even in the long run. To cope with recent challenges, this paper argues that free movement should not be considered as an element of a spontaneous market mechanism, but as an economic-political product, based on a constitutional order

A szívizom-kontraktilitás endogén peptiderg szabályozó mechanizmusainak vizsgálata = Studies on endogenous peptidergic regulation of myocardial contractility

Célunk a szívizom-összehúzódás erejét szabályozó mechanizmusok feltárása volt. Eredményeink szerint a közelmúltban izolált prolaktin-releasing peptid (PrRP) és a neuronostatin (NST) funkcionális szereppel bír a szívben. Izolált patkányszíven a PrRP fokozta a kontrakciók erejét, az NST csökkentette azt. Az endothelin-1 (ET-1), az adrenomedullin (AM), a PrRP és az NST hatását közvetítő intracelluláris jelátvivő utak karakterizálása révén új serkentő illetve ellenszabályozó mechanizmusokat azonosítottunk. Kimutattuk, hogy az ERK1/2 mitogénaktivált-proteinkináz (MAPK) közvetíti az ET-1 és az AM inotrop hatását. A NAD(P)H-oxidáz által termelt reaktív oxigén gyökök, mint jelátvivő molekulák, serkentik az ERK1/2 aktivációját. Leírtuk, hogy az ERK1/2 foszforilációjához elengedhetetlen az epidermális növekedési faktor-receptor transzaktivációja. Az ERK1/2 a Na+-H+ cseremechanizmus fokozása révén növeli a kontrakciók erejét ET-1 illetve AM adásakor. Kimutattuk, hogy a p38-MAPK illetve az nNOS-NO-szolubilis guanilátcikláz-cGMP-proteinkináz-G jelátviteli út aktivációja ellensúlyozni képes az ET-1 inotrop hatását. Továbbá, a proteinkináz-C- és a proteinfoszfatáz-1 gyengíti a PrRP hatását. Kimutattuk, hogy az AM adaptív illetve maladaptív válaszokat vált ki a kamrai remodelláció során kontextusfüggő módon. Az azonosított jelátviteli mechanizmusok szelektív serkentése illetve gátlása a szívizom-kontraktilitás fokozásának új útjait jelentheti a szívelégtelenség kezelésében. | Our aim was to identify novel mechanisms regulating cardiac contractility. We have provided evidence for the functional significance of the recently isolated prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) and neuronostatin (NST) in the myocardium. PrRP increased cardiac contractility, whereas NST decreased it in isolated rat heart preparation. We have identified new positive and negative regulators of contractility by characterizing the signaling mechanisms of endothelin-1 (ET-1), adrenomedullin (AM), PrRP and NST. We have demonstrated that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) ERK1/2 is an important mediator of the positive inotropic effect of ET-1 and AM. NAD(P)H oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species can act as signaling molecules activating ERK1/2. Moreover, epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation is required for ERK1/2 activation, which enhances contractility via the Na+-H+ exchanger. We have reported that activation of p38-MAPK and nNOS–NO–guanylyl cyclase–cGMP–protein kinase G pathway can counterbalance the inotropic response to ET-1. Moreover, the inotropic effect of PrRP was attenuated by protein kinase C? and protein phosphatase-1. In addition to control contractility, we have shown that AM can induce a context-dependent adaptive or maladaptive response during left ventricular remodeling. The selective activation or inhibition of the identified pathways may represent novel means to support cardiac function in the failing heart

Short-term hyperoxia-induced functional and morphological changes in rat hippocampus

Excess oxygen (O2) levels may have a stimulating effect, but in the long term, and at high concentrations of O2, it is harmful to the nervous system. The hippocampus is very sensitive to pathophysiological changes and altered O2 concentrations can interfere with hippocampus-dependent learning and memory functions. In this study, we investigated the hyperoxia-induced changes in the rat hippocampus to evaluate the short-term effect of mild and severe hyperoxia. Wistar male rats were randomly divided into control (21% O2), mild hyperoxia (30% O2), and severe hyperoxia groups (100% O2). The O2 exposure lasted for 60 min. Multi-channel silicon probes were used to study network oscillations and firing properties of hippocampal putative inhibitory and excitatory neurons. Neural damage was assessed using the Gallyas silver impregnation method. Mild hyperoxia (30% O2) led to the formation of moderate numbers of silver-impregnated “dark” neurons in the hippocampus. On the other hand, exposure to 100% O2 was associated with a significant increase in the number of “dark” neurons located mostly in the hilus. The peak frequency of the delta oscillation decreased significantly in both mild and severe hyperoxia in urethane anesthetized rats. Compared to normoxia, the firing activity of pyramidal neurons under hyperoxia increased while it was more heterogeneous in putative interneurons in the cornu ammonis area 1 (CA1) and area 3 (CA3). These results indicate that short-term hyperoxia can change the firing properties of hippocampal neurons and network oscillations and damage neurons. Therefore, the use of elevated O2 concentration inhalation in hospitals (i.e., COVID treatment and surgery) and in various non-medical scenarios (i.e., airplane emergency O2 masks, fire-fighters, and high altitude trekkers) must be used with extreme caution

Benignus és malignus hiperproliferatív ill. gyulladásos bőrbetegségek pathomechanizmusának vizsgálata funkcionális genomikai módszerekkel = Studies on the pathomechanism of benign and malign hyperproliferative as well as inflammatory skin diseases by means of functional genomics

Pikkelysömörben vizsgáltuk a sejtciklus szabályozásban részt vevő extracelluláris mátrix protein, a fibronektin szerepét, és azonosítottunk egy nem kódoló RNS gént (PRINS), mely szerepet játszik a pikkelysömörre való hajlam, ill. a sejtek stressz válaszának kialakításában. A multifaktoriális etiológiájú lábszárfekély genetikai hátterének vizsgálata során azonosítottunk egy SNP-t, amely magasabb arányban fordul elő a betegekben, mint egészségesekben, feltételezzük, hogy szerepet játszik a betegség pathogenezisében. A serdülőkorban és gyakran még a felnőttkorban is gondot jelentő acne vulgaris gyulladásos bőrbetegség genomikai kutatása során igazoltuk, hogy az interleukin 1 receptor antagonista gén (IL-1RN) egy polimorfizmusa ebben a kórképben magasabb arányban fordul elő, mint az egészséges populációban, amely pathogenetikai szerepére utal. Megmutattuk, hogy az acne pathomechanizmusában kulcsfontosságú Propionibacterium acnes baktérium a keratinocitákban a veleszületett immunitásban szerepet játszó gének expresszióját indukálja. Vizsgáltuk a hisztamin szerepét az allergiás kontakt dermatitisz pathogenezisében. Kísérleteinkhez hisztidin dekarboxiláz knock-out egereket használtunk, és eredményeink alapján feltételezzük, hogy a hisztamin a késői típusú kontakt dermatitiszben negatív reguláló szerepet tölt be. A pályázat keretében a gyulladásos bőrbetegségek ill. a szénanátha kezelésére alkalmas új fototerápiás eljárásokat is fejlesztettünk és vizsgáltuk azok hatásmechanizmusát. | We investigated the role of an extracellular matrix protein, fibronectin (an important regulator of the cell cycle), in psoriasis. We identified a non-coding RNA gene, PRINS playing a role in cell stress, and a key factor of psoriasis susceptibility. The genetic background of the multifactorial leg ulcer was also studied. We discovered an SNP that is more frequent among leg ulcer patients than in controls. This finding suggests that this SNP might play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Acne vulgaris is another very common inflammatory skin disorder affecting a significant proportion of the teenager and the adult population. We showed that a polymorphism of the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene (IL1-RN) is more frequent among the affected individuals compared to healthy controls. This suggests a role for the IL1-RN gene in the development of this skin condition. Studies on the contribution of the skin colonizing Propionibacterium acne in the pathomechanism of acne showed that this bacterium induces the expression of genes playing a role in innate immunity of human kerationocytes. The role of histamine in allergic contact dermatitis was also investigated. We used histamine decarboxylase knock-out mice, and our results suggest that histamine plays a negative regulatory role in the late-type contact dermatitis. We have developed novel phototherapeutic methods for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases and rhinitis allergica, and studied their mode of action

Simple and choice reaction times are prolonged following extracorporeal circulation : a potential method for the assessment of acute neurocognitive deficit

Cognitive deficit related to open heart surgery came into the focus of interest according to professional and social expectations. The negative effects on quality of life and the large number of involved patients emphasize its investigation. The bed-side measurement of simple and choice reaction time (sRT and cRT) has the objectivity of cortical evoked potential analysis; however there is no need for EEG instrumentation and laboratory. This is a functional assessment similarly to neuropsychological tests, but requires significantly shorter time, and is less demanding for the patient. We found a statistically significant positive correlation of sRT and cRT elongation and perfusion time. At the same time there were no statistically significant changes of mean sRT and cRT values before (sRT: 208±54 s, cRT: 369±59 s) and after (sRT: 229±67 s, cRT: 392±105 s) the surgery probably due to the inhomogeneous patient population. The weak correlation (coefficients: 0.1418-0.8484) for sRT and cRT changes as a function of perfusion time confirm the presence of other factors of postoperative brain damage. The investigated bed-side test is clinically feasible, simple and can be completed within 30 minutes. Further studies are encouraged to compare above method to other tests in a larger, stratified cardiac surgery populatio