Gender and budget

Neoclassical approach to economics failed to recognize and evaluate the importance in producing the human capital, of work of households which is predominantly performed by women. Extensive research, however, indicates that neglecting such issues may lead to a lower growth rate, and at the same time aspects of human equity are seriously disregarded. To eliminate this deficiency, there is a stronger tendency in the world to involve gender sensitiveness into the process of budget-making. There is a wide range of tools in the process, extending from the gendered analysis of the impacts on beneficiaries of budget, to examining the gender-disaggregated impacts of expenditure or tax incidence. The involvement of participants of civil society helps to make the budgetmaking a more open, participatory process.heterodox economics, gender-sensitive budget, gender equality

Kompozit nanofilmek előállítása a komponensek rétegenkénti önrendeződéses adszorpciójával = Preparation of composite nanofilms using layer-by-layer self-assembly

A kutatási munka ereményeit a következő megállapításokban foglalom össze: 1) kidolgoztuk a kompozit nanofilmek felépítésében a hordozó felülethez rögzítés optimális módszerét 2) a részecske-polielektrolit multiréteges nanofilmek felépítéséhez alacsony disszociációfokú polielektrolitra van szükség 3) a részecske-polielektrolit filmek rétegszámát a részecske szuszpenzió töménysége befolyásolja 4) felületmódosított Stöber szilika részecskék alkalmasak rendezett szerkezetű mono- és multirétegek felépítésére L-B technikával 5) a Stöber szilika L-B filmek rendezettségét csökkentik a felületaktív adalékanyagok 6) új Stöber szilika felületmódosítási eljárást dolgoztunk ki 7) multiréteges nanofilmek L-B technikával történő kialakításakor a rétegek síkjára merőleges irányban a rendezettség egyenletes 8) a globuláris protein - agyagásvány filmekben a multiréteg képződés kizárólag az elektrosztatikai vonzó lölcsönhatásokra épül 9) a globuláris protein-agyagásvány filmekben a rétegek közötti összetartó erő a két egymást követő agyagásvány réteg részecskéinek horizontális átlapolódásából származik 10) a globuláris proteinek adszorpciója az agyagásvány lamella-réteggel borított felületen nő a protein molekulatömegének csökkeésével és töltéssűrűségének növekedésével 11) a multiréteges globuláris protein-agyagásvány lamella szerkezetek felületi durvasága a beépülő protein méretével nő | The project results are summarized as follows: 1) the anchoring method of film bilding strategy was optimized 2) particle-polyelectrolyte films can be build using weakly dissociated, low-charge polyelectrolytes 3) the particle suspension concentration infulences the possible number of layers that can be built 4) ordered two-dimensional nanofilms can be built with surface modified Stöber silica particles by using the Langmuir-Blodgett method 5) surfactant additives will decrease the ordering quality in the 2-D Stöber films 6) a new method of surface modification of Stöber silica particles has been worked out, for L-B deposition 7) in L-B deposition technique, the ordering of layers is of high quality, orthogonally to the plane of the layers 8) the multilayer formation from globular proteins with lamellar clay particles is vased solely on the electrostatic attraction forces 9) in the globular protein-layered clay particle multilayered films the film coherence is due to horizontal overlapping of the particles in the subsequent layers 10) the adsorption of globular proteins on the clay particle layer is governed by the size and the charge density of the protein 11) the size of the globular proteins directs the surface roughness of protein lamellar clay particle film

The effect of moral loss and gain mindset on confronting racism

In the present research, we tested whether the prospect of moral failure or moral gain can motivate (some) people to confront racism. We investigated the influence of moral loss and moral gain mindset on people's tendency to contest racism as a function of their moral commitment to non-prejudice.Drawing on research on regulatory focus, we predicted that a moral loss mindset (vs. control) would increase confronting tendencies among those who are morally committed to non-prejudice (to safeguard their moral self-concept). A moral gain mindset (vs. control) was expected to increase confronting among those who are less committed to non-prejudice (to enhance their moral self-concept). In Experiment 1, participants were presented with racist scenarios. We varied the framing of moral considerations involved (loss vs. gain vs. control) and assessed confronting intentions. In Experiment 2, participants went through a moral mindset intervention. After a few days, using a behavioral paradigm, we tested their actual confronting during a racist situation. We found partial evidence to our predictions. Those highly committed to non-prejudice (as indicated by a measure of moral conviction in Experiment 1, but by a measure of moral identity in Experiment 2) were significantly more prone to confront in the loss mindset condition than in the control. Confronting in the gain condition was not significantly different than in the control condition at any level of moral commitment to non-prejudice. These findings suggest that a moral loss mindset intervention may be effectively used in promoting (some) people's tendency to speak up against racism

A brasszinoszteroidok szerepének vizsgálata a növényi szervek morfogenezisének szabályozásában = The regulatory role of brassinosteroids in the morphogenic determination of plant organs

A brasszinoszteroidok (BR-ok) növényi szteroid hormonok, amelyek fontos szerepet játszanak az egyedfejlődési és reproduktív funkciók szabályozásában. Munkánk célja olyan tényezők azonosítása volt, amelyek a sejtek szenzitizálása, ill. a hormon felhalmozása révén befolyásolhatják a BR válaszreakciókat. Kimutattuk, hogy a feltételezett egyenletes kifejeződéssel szemben a BR receptort kódoló BRI1 gén differenciált szerv- és fejlődés-specifikus expressziót mutat. BRI1 promóter-riporter fúziókat hordozó transzgenikus Arabidopsis vonalainkban a fokozott hormonérzékenység szoros korrelációt mutatott a receptor erős kifejeződésével, jelezve a receptor sűrűség és a válaszreakció kialakulása közti kapcsolatot. Másrészt meghatároztuk az aktív BR formák korábban ismeretlen szintjét az Arabidopsis egyes szerveiben, igazolva, hogy a hormon felhalmozódás mértékét jórészt a bioszintetikus gének transzkripciós szintű szabályozása határozza meg. A sebesség-meghatározó CPD/CYP90A1 enzimről episztázis analízissel kimutattuk, hogy az a szintézis hatékonyságát közvetlenül a BR szintézis első reakcióját követően kontrollálja. Az anyagcsereút utolsó, még tisztázatlan enzim funkcióját karakterizálva meghatároztuk, hogy a CPD/CYP90A1 a szteroid váz C-3 pozíciójának oxidációjáért felelős. Ezzel egyúttal kísérletes bizonyítékot szolgáltattunk egy új, a korábban ismertnél hatékonyabb BR szintézisút in vivo jelentőségére. | Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroidal plant hormones controlling morphogenesis and reproductive development. The aim of our project was to elucidate basic mechanisms that influence BR responses by modulating cellular susceptibility or accumulation of the biologically active hormone. We demonstrated that, in contrast to an earlier concept of ubiquitous expression, the BRI1 gene encoding the BR receptor shows differential organ-specific and developmental activity. Our BRI1 promoter-reporter constructs revealed that in Arabidopsis elevated BRI1 expression coincides with increased BR responsiveness, suggesting an important role for receptor abundance in the initiation of BR signaling. In a different approach we determined the hitherto unknown distribution of active BRs in the various organs of Arabidopsis, and provided evidence that the transcriptional control of BR biosynthetic genes efficiently regulates hormone accumulation. We have shown that CPD/CYP90A1 is a key enzyme of BR biosynthesis and, using epistasis analysis, we demonstrated that it controls intermediate flow immediately downstream of the first committed step of the BR pathway. Characterizing the last unknown enzyme function in the BR pathway, we clarified by in vitro enzyme assays that CPD/CYP90A catalyzes the C-3 oxidation of early BR intermediates. Based on this result we proposed an enzymologically well supported novel BR biosynthetic pathway

Pszichiátriai betegségek kezelésének és biológiai hátterének farmakodinamikai és molekuláris genetikai vizsgálata = Pharmacodynamic and molecular genetic investigation of the treatment and biological background of psychiatric disorders

2004: Öngyilkosságot megkísérelt személyeknél a triptofán hidroxiláz A218C polimorfizmusban az A allél agresszivitással és impulzivitással társult. A katechol-O-metiltranszferáz polimorfizmusban a 158Val allél nagyobb gyakorisággal fordult elő deficit szindrómában szkizofréniában. Az Alzheimer demencia (AD) és a CYP46 polimorfizmus között nem találtunk összefüggést. 2005: Szkizofréniában a szerotonin 2A receptor polimorfizmus és az antipszichotikumokra adott válasz között nem találtunk összefüggést. A BDNF C270T polimorfizmus összefüggést mutatott a kategorizációs neurokognitív funkciókkal. A dopamin D3 receptor polimorfizmusban a Gly allél jelenléte a tűnt fontosnak a tanulási folyamatokban. 2006: A BDNF C270T polimorfizmusban a C allél, a val66met polimorfizmusban a G allél játszhat szerepet szkizofréniában. Az abnormális neuronális jelek és a deficit szindróma kapcsolatában rosszabb vizuális kontrasztérzékenységet találtunk. AD-s limfocitákban ultraibolya B besugárzás után alacsonyabb apoptotikus rátát mértünk. Down szindrómás betegek limfocitái érzékenyebben reagáltak az oxidatív stresszre. 2007: Az ApoE és a részlegesen duplikálódott 7nAChR polimorfizmusokban nem találtunk összefüggést az Apo E 4-es allél és a 7nAChR vad genotípus együttes jelenléte és az AD között. Depresszióban a döntéshozatalt a személyiség és a genetikai variabilitás egyaránt befolyásolta. Relaxációs hipnózist követően a gyulladásos citokinek kifejezettebben expresszálódtak. | 2004: In the tryptophan hydroxylase A218C gene polymorphism the A allele was associated with aggressivity and impulsivity in probands with suicide attempts. In catechol-O-methyltransferase polymorphism the 158Val allele was more frequent in schizophrenic deficit syndrome. There was no association between the CYP46 polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease. 2005: There was no connection between the serotonin 2A receptor gene polymorphism and the response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia. The BDNF polymorphism could be associated with neurocognitive functions. The occurrence of Gly allele of dopamine D3 receptor appeared important in learning processes. 2006: In BDNF C270T polymorphism the C allele, in BDNF val66met polymorphism the G allele can play a role in schizophrenia. There was worse visual contrast sensitivity in deficit syndrome and int he presence of abnormal neurological signs. A lower apoptotic rate was found in lymphocytes from Alzheimer?s disease patients following ultraviolet B exposure. The lymphocytes from Down?s syndrome probands were more sensitive to oxidative stress than normal ones. 2007: In ApoE and partially duplicated 7nAChR polymorphisms there was no association between the presence of ApoE 4 allele and the wild genotype of 7nAChR in Alzheimer?s disease. In depression the decision-making strategy was influenced by both personality traits and genetic variations. Following relaxation hypnosis the inflammatory cytokines were overexpressed in lymphocytes

Vastagságértékek összehasonlítása kilenc macularis mezőben time-domain és spectral-domain optikai koherencia tomográfiával

Célkitűzés: Retinavastagság-értékek összehasonlítása spectral-domain (Cirrus HD-OCT) és time-domain (Stratus OCT) optikai koherencia tomográfiás készülékkel. Módszer: Retinavastagság-mérések történtek a kilenc ETDRS macularis almezőben 20 egészséges személy azonos oldali szemén mindkét készülékkel. A Cirrus HD-OCT esetében a Macular Cube 512×128 és a Macular Cube 200×200 protokollt, a Stratus OCT készülékkel a Fast Macular Thickness Map protokollt használtuk. Vizsgáltuk mindhárom mérési sorozat reprodukálhatóságát, és a mérések átlagértékeit minden almezőben összehasonlítottuk egymással. Eredmények: A Stratus OCT-vel végzett mérési eredmények minden almezőben szignifikánsan alacsonyabbak voltak, mint a Cirrus esetében (p Következtetések: A Cirrus HD-OCT használatával lényegesen jobb reprodukálhatóságot figyeltünk meg, mint a Stratus OCT esetében. A Cirrus HD-OCT használatával a mérési értékek szignifikánsan magasabbak minden almezőben, mint a Stratus OCT esetében. Különböző OCT-készülékek használatával jelentősen különböző mérési eredményekhez juthatunk, ezért az adatok összehasonlításakor óvatosság szükséges. Orv. Hetil., 154 (52), 2059–2064

What Is New for an Old Molecule? Systematic Review and Recommendations on the Use of Resveratrol

BACKGROUND: Resveratrol is a natural compound suggested to have beneficial health effects. However, people are consuming resveratrol for this reason without having the adequate scientific evidence for its effects in humans. Therefore, scientific valid recommendations concerning the human intake of resveratrol based on available published scientific data are necessary. Such recommendations were formulated after the Resveratrol 2010 conference, held in September 2010 in Helsingør, Denmark. METHODOLOGY: Literature search in databases as PUBMED and ISI Web of Science in combination with manual search was used to answer the following five questions: (1)Can resveratrol be recommended in the prevention or treatment of human diseases?; (2)Are there observed side effects caused by the intake of resveratrol in humans?; (3)What is the relevant dose of resveratrol?; (4)What valid data are available regarding an effect in various species of experimental animals?; (5)Which relevant (overall) mechanisms of action of resveratrol have been documented? CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The overall conclusion is that the published evidence is not sufficiently strong to justify a recommendation for the administration of resveratrol to humans, beyond the dose which can be obtained from dietary sources. On the other hand, animal data are promising in prevention of various cancer types, coronary heart diseases and diabetes which strongly indicate the need for human clinical trials. Finally, we suggest directions for future research in resveratrol regarding its mechanism of action and its safety and toxicology in human subjects

A new Rickettsia honei-related genotype, two novel soft tick haplotypes and first records of three mite species associated with bats in Pakistan

Bats are well adapted to inhabit human settlements and are suitable reservoirs of a high number of vector-borne pathogens with veterinary-medical importance. Owing to these eco-epidemiological traits, the importance of studying bat ectoparasites is increasingly recognized. However, relevant molecular-phylogenetic data are missing from several countries of southern Asia, including Pakistan. In this study 11 ectoparasites, collected from bats in northern Pakistan, were analyzed morphologically and/or molecularly, phylogenetically from a taxonomic point of view. In addition, soft ticks were screened for pathogen DNA. Three mesostigmatid mite species were identified: Steatonyssus occidentalis evansi Micherdzinski, 1980 and Ancystropus taprobaniusTurk, 1950 from Rousettus leschenaultii (Desmarest 1820) and two specimens of Spinturnix americanus (Banks 1902) from Pipistrellus cf. javanicus (Gray 1838). Six soft tick (Carios vespertilionis Latreille, 1802) larvae were also removed from Scotophilus kuhlii Leach, 1821. Morphometric comparison revealed minor differences in comparison with C. vespertilionis larvae from Europe (i.e., narrower scutum and longer 4th posterolateral setae, while scutal length and shape index were not significantly different in this context). When molecularly analyzed, C. vespertilionis larvae from Pakistan showed the highest, 94.1% cox1 sequence identity with a sample from Kenya, while in their 16S rRNA gene these had the highest, 96.2-96.4% identity with samples from Europe and central Asia (northwestern China). These findings were confirmed in phylogenetic analyses. A further soft tick larva, collected from R. leschenaultii and therefore provisionally called Argas sp. "rousetti", yielded sequences with only 86.2% and 91% similarities in its cox1 and 16S rRNA genes, respectively, to the genetically closest species, A. boueti. Both Argas species belonged to the phylogenetic group of the subgenus Chiropterargas. Molecular screening of two C. vespertilionis larvae for a broad range of tick-borne pathogens yielded negative results. However, the larva of Argas sp. "rousetti" showed the presence of a spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia sp., which (based on four genetic markers) was closely related to two Rickettsia species reported from southeastern Asia (i.e., R. honei and Rickettsia sp. IG-1), but differed more significantly from other rickettsiae. In conclusion, the three mite species identified here are new records for their host species and for Pakistan. The present findings support that despite the observed genetic differences, C. vespertilionis in southern Asia (Pakistan) and Europe belong to the same species and share common ancestry with C. vespertilionis in east Africa (Kenya). The soft tick species, Argas sp. "rousetti" is most likely a not yet described species within the subgenus Chiropterargas Hoogstraal, 1955, because it was clearly separated from A. boueti Roubaud & Colas-Belcour, 1933 and A. confusus Hoogstraal, 1955 in the phylogenetic analysis (also taking into account that other known species of the subgenus are unlikely to occur in Pakistan). The novel Rickettsia-genotype from Argas sp. "rousetti", represents the first molecular identification of a Rickettsia sp. phylogenetically close to R. honei, and the first Rickettsia sp. from any bat-associated soft tick species in southern Asia

Coadministration of antigen-conjugated and free CpG : Effects of in vitro and in vivo interactions in a murine model

CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG) are widely studied as promising adjuvants in vaccines against a range of diseases including infection, cancer or allergy. Conjugating antigen to CpG has been shown to potentiate the adjuvant effect via enhancing antigen uptake and danger signaling by the very same cell. In the present study, using biotinylated CpG and streptavidin as a model system, we demonstrate that CpG motif containing free and antigen-conjugated oligonucleotides do not compete in terms of cell activation via TLR9, but do compete for cellular uptake. Antigen-conjugated CpG enhances cellular association and uptake of the antigen by antigen-presenting cells (APC) and T cells. Free CpG efficiently competes with antigen-CpG conjugates in BMDC and T cells, but shows weak or no competition in B cells that have higher TLR9 expression. Vaccination with antigen-conjugated CpG or with a mixture of antigen and CpG elevates the level of antigen-specific antibodies but co-administration of CpG-antigen conjugates and free CpG adversely effects immunogenicity. These observations may help optimize CpG-based vaccine formulation. © 2014 Elsevier B.V

Arteriolar biomechanics in a rat polycystic ovary syndrome model - effects of parallel vitamin D3 treatment.

To clarify the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on arteriolar biomechanics in a rat model and the possible modulatory role of vitamin D3. METHODS AND RESULTS: The PCOS model was induced in female Wistar rats by ten-weeks DHT treatment. Arteriolar biomechanics was tested in arterioles by pressure arteriography in control as well as DHT- and DHT with vitamin D3-treated animals in contracted and passive conditions. Increased wall stress and distensibility as well as increased vascular lumen were detected after DHT treatment. Concomitant vitamin D3 treatment lowered the mechanical load of the arterioles and restored the vascular diameter. CONCLUSION: The hyperandrogenic state resulted in more rigid, less flexible arteriolar walls with increased vascular lumen compared with controls. DHT treatment caused eutrophic remodelling of gracilis arteriole. These prehypertensive alterations caused by chronic DHT treatment were mostly reversed by concomitant vitamin D3 administration