Determination of the mycotoxin zearalenone in water by immunofluorescence and total internal reflection ellipsometry methods

In the scope of project Aquafluosense developing prototypes of fluorescence-based instrumentation for in situ measurement of several characteristic parameters of water quality, an immunofluorescent method have been developed for the detection of several environmental xenobiotics, including mycotoxin zearalenone (ZON). ZON, produced by several plant pathogenic Fusarium species, has recently been identified as an emerging pollutant in surface water, presenting a hazard to aquatic ecosystems. Due to its physico-chemical properties, detection of ZON at low concentration in surface water is a challenging task. The 96-well microplate-based fluorescent instrument is capable to detect ZON in the concentration range of 0.4–400 ng mL-1 . The sensitivity and accuracy of the analytical methods has been demonstrated by comparative assessment with detection by total internal reflection ellipsometry

Spontaneous Ventilation Combined with Double-Lumen Tube Intubation during Thoracic Surgery: A New Anesthesiologic Method Based on 141 Cases over Three Years

Background: Non-intubated thoracic surgery has not achieved widespread acceptance despite its potential to improve postoperative outcomes. To ensure airway safety, our institute has developed a technique combining spontaneous ventilation with double-lumen tube intubation (SVI). This study aimed to verify the feasibility and limitations of this SVI technique. Methods: For the SVI method, anesthesia induction involves fentanyl and propofol target-controlled infusion, with mivacurium administration. Bispectral index monitoring was used to ensure the optimal depth of anesthesia. Short-term muscle relaxation facilitated double-lumen tube intubation and early surgical steps. Chest opening preceded local infiltration, followed by a vagal nerve blockade to prevent the cough reflex and a paravertebral blockade for pain relief. Subsequently, the muscle relaxant was ceased. The patient underwent spontaneous breathing without coughing during surgical manipulation. Results: Between 10 March 2020 and 28 October 2022, 141 SVI surgeries were performed. Spontaneous respiration with positive end-expiratory pressure was sufficient in 65.96% (93/141) of cases, whereas 31.21% (44/141) required pressure support ventilation. Only 2.84% (4/141) of cases reversed to conventional anesthetic management, owing to technical or surgical difficulties. Results of the 141 cases: The mean maximal carbon dioxide pressure was 59.01 (34.4–92.9) mmHg, and the mean lowest oxygen saturation was 93.96% (81–100%). The mean one-lung, mechanical and spontaneous one-lung ventilation time was 74.88 (20–140), 17.55 (0–115) and 57.73 (0–130) min, respectively. Conclusions: Spontaneous ventilation with double-lumen tube intubation is safe and feasible for thoracic surgery. The mechanical one-lung ventilation time was reduced by 76.5%, and the rate of anesthetic conversion to relaxation was low (2.8%)

Magyar jelentés-egyértelműsített korpusz

Az első magyar WSD korpusz elkészítéséhez 39 olyan szóalakot választottunk ki, melyek jó mintapéldák a jelentés-egyértelműsítés feladatának vizsgálatára. A kiválasztásnál a kritériumok között szerepelt, hogy az adott szóalak legyen gyakori a magyar nyelvben (ennek mérésére a Magyar Nemzeti Szövegtár (MNSZ) [8] gyakorisági adatait használtuk), illetve, hogy legyen több, használatában gyakorinak tekinthető jelentése. A korpusz szövegeit is az MNSZ-ből, annak Heti Világgazdaság (HVG) számaiból összeállított részkorpuszából válogattuk. Így minden egyes példához rendelkezésre áll a vizsgálat szempontjából releváns kontextus (teljes HVG-cikk), illetve automatikus tokenizálás, szófaji kódolás, szótőre vonatkozó információ

Application of an induced fluorometry-based method in algal growth inhibition tests

Aquatic ecosystems are strongly exposed to various micropollutants from agricultural origin. The harmful effect can be expressed directly on aquatic organisms and indirectly through the food chain. The use of ecotoxicity assays mainly in aquatic environments, and corresponding water quality assessment are undoubtedly important. Project Aquafluosense was designed to develop instrument prototypes of a fluorescence-based setup for in situ measurement of algal biomass and for application of flurescence in ecotoxicity assays. Fluorescence-based determination of algal density was validated by conventional methods and signals obtained by the fluorometer correlated well with the conventional methods for algal density determination. The applicability of the fluorometer developed was demonstrated in ecotoxicity assays using the herbicide active ingredient isoxaflutole in neat and formulated forms

Development of a Multicomponent Microbiological Soil Inoculant and Its Performance in Sweet Potato Cultivation

The cultivation and consumption of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) are increasing globally. As the usage of chemical fertilizers and pest control agents during its cultivation may lead to soil, water and air pollution, there is an emerging need for environment-friendly, biological solutions enabling increased amounts of healthy crop and efficient disease management. Microbiological agents for agricultural purposes gained increasing importance in the past few decades. Our goal was to develop an agricultural soil inoculant from multiple microorganisms and test its application potential in sweet potato cultivation. Two Trichoderma strains were selected: Trichoderma ghanense strain SZMC 25217 based on its extracellular enzyme activities for the biodegradation of plant residues, and Trichoderma afroharzianum strain SZMC 25231 for biocontrol purposes against fungal plant pathogens. The Bacillus velezensis strain SZMC 24986 proved to be the best growth inhibitor of most of the nine tested strains of fungal species known as plant pathogens, therefore it was also selected for biocontrol purposes against fungal plant pathogens. Arthrobacter globiformis strain SZMC 25081, showing the fastest growth on nitrogen-free medium, was selected as a component with possible nitrogen-fixing potential. A Pseudomonas resinovorans strain, SZMC 25872, was selected for its ability to produce indole-3-acetic acid, which is among the important traits of potential plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). A series of experiments were performed to test the selected strains for their tolerance to abiotic stress factors such as pH, temperature, water activity and fungicides, influencing the survivability in agricultural environments. The selected strains were used to treat sweet potato in two separate field experiments. Yield increase was observed for the plants treated with the selected microbial consortium (synthetic community) in comparison with the control group in both cases. Our results suggest that the developed microbial inoculant has the potential to be used in sweet potato plantations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the successful application of a fungal-bacterial consortium in sweet potato cultivation

Development of an immunofluorescence assay module for determination of the mycotoxin zearalenone in water

Project Aquafluosense is designed to develop prototypes for a fluorescence-based instrumentation setup for in situ measurements of several characteristic parameters of water quality. In the scope of the project an enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay (ELFIA) method has been developed for the detection of several environmental xenobiotics, including mycotoxin zearalenone (ZON). ZON, produced by several plant pathogenic Fusarium species, has recently been identified as an emerging pollutant in surface water, presenting a hazard to aquatic ecosystems. Due to its physico-chemical properties, detection of ZON at low concentrations in surface water is a challenging task. The 96-well microplate-based fluorescence instrument is capable of detecting ZON in the concentration range of 0.09–400 ng/mL. The sensitivity and accuracy of the analytical method has been demonstrated by a comparative assessment with detection by high-performance liquid chromatography and by total internal reflection ellipsometry. The limit of detection of the method, 0.09 ng/mL, falls in the low range compared to the other reported immunoassays, but the main advantage of this ELFIA method is its efficacy in combined in situ applications for determination of various important water quality parameters detectable by induced fluorimerty—e.g., total organic carbon content, algal density or the level of other organic micropollutants detectable by immunofluorimetry. In addition, the immunofluorescence module can readily be expanded to other target analytes if proper antibodies are available for detection