From Proto-Capitalism to Post-Socialism: The Case of the Hungarian Film Industry

The post-socialist transformation of the Hungarian film industry is usually discussed in the context of state-run studios and state funding. These explanations focused on the role and importance of regulation and institutional aspects of change, highlighting the changes in the production system (the development of independent production companies) and the transition from direct state control and funding to public funding (the setup of a new institution, the Motion Picture Foundation of Hungary). The transformation, as in the case of other Eastern European film industries, is usually interpreted as a crisis and a major break. This article will nuance this mainstream interpretation of the transformation of the Hungarian film industry with the examination of features that connect the two eras (i.e. late socialist and early post-socialist periods). Instead of the linear logic of succession and transition, it will focus on the ambiguities of change and continuity, showing that although the changes were fundamental, many things connect late socialist years and early post- socialist period. The article claims that the transformation could not be described as a simple one-way shift from a centralized state-socialist system to the market-oriented film industry and the system of public funding. Considering the trends of marketization and ‘proto- capitalization’ of the late 1980s in the Hungarian film industry and the post-socialist survival of the state socialist studio system, the article will show the double-face of the transformation

The Right to Bear: Measuring Gun Control Policies Against Violent Crime

Especially in United States politics, gun control legislation is a controversial topic, with much debate dedicated to which gun control policies are implementable as a countermeasure to violent crime rates, if any. In American public discourse on the topic, U.S. gun control doctrine, which is characterized by an individualistic gun culture engrained in the Second Amendment of the Constitution, is one which is described as lax in comparison to gun control measures implemented by other nations. These gun control policies include a wide array of measures, such as automatic firearms regulation, a state-mandated national firearms registry, and background checks, among many others. However, which gun control policies actually correlate with lower violate crime rates? There have already been many studies focused on the effects of gun control on violent crime rates. One example is a study by Lott (2010), which observed scattered relationships between specific gun control measures and crime rates throughout the United States. Another study by Chapman and Alpers (2013) observed the effects of stricter gun control policies enacted by the Parliament of Australia in 1996 and found a statistically significant relationship between the Australian ban on automatic and semi-automatic firearms and lower firearms-related violent crime rates. Yet, there has not been enough research which compare national gun laws across different nations against violent crime rates in those nations, and how any possible relationship might be affected by economic and social development. This study will observe correlations between the implementation of specific gun control measures and violent crime rates across 43 cases, including 29 nations and territories and 14 U.S. states and territories. This study employs the Pearson correlation coefficient to measure relationships between gun control legislation and violent crime rates. The gun control measures observed in this study include types of firearm bans, safety training, background checks, concealed carry regulation, and rates of civilian firearm ownership, among others. This study also tests any possible relationships between gun control and violent crime rates against economic and social development. While there are some relationships between certain gun control policies and lower crime rates, this study does not find that gun control is a panacea for reducing violent crime, with development playing a major role in the overall success or failure of gun control policies. The research provided by this study will add to the conversation around gun control by bringing attention to the success of certain gun control policies in nations across the world, and how this success may be affected by development

Biased opioid ligands

Achieving effective pain management is one of the major challenges associated with modern day medicine. Opioids, such as morphine, have been the reference treatment for moderate to severe acute pain not excluding chronic pain modalities. Opioids act through the opioid receptors, the family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that mediate pain relief through both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Four types of opioid receptors have been described, including the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), κ-opioid receptor (KOR), δ-opioid receptor (DOR), and the nociceptin opioid peptide receptor (NOP receptor). Despite the proven success of opioids in treating pain, there are still some inherent limitations. All clinically approved MOR analgesics are associated with adverse effects, which include tolerance, dependence, addiction, constipation, and respiratory depression. On the other hand, KOR selective analgesics have found limited clinical utility because they cause sedation, anxiety, dysphoria, and hallucinations. DOR agonists have also been investigated but they have a tendency to cause convulsions. Ligands targeting NOP receptor have been reported in the preclinical literature to be useful as spinal analgesics and as entities against substance abuse disorders while mixed MOR/NOP receptor agonists are useful as analgesics. Ultimately, the goal of opioid-related drug development has always been to design and synthesize derivatives that are equally or more potent than morphine but most importantly are devoid of the dangerous residual side effects and abuse potential. One proposed strategy is to take advantage of biased agonism, in which distinct downstream pathways can be activated by different molecules working through the exact same receptor. It has been proposed that ligands not recruiting β-arrestin 2 or showing a preference for activating a specific G-protein mediated signal transduction pathway will function as safer analgesic across all opioid subtypes. This review will focus on the design and the pharmacological outcomes of biased ligands at the opioid receptors, aiming at achieving functional selectivity

Reading Disability and Quality of Life Based on Both Self- and Parent-Reports: Importance of Gender Differences

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate self- and parent-rated quality of life (QoL) in children with a reading disability (RD) and the impact of comorbid psychopathology, with special focus on age and gender differences. Methods: Using the Dyslexia Differential Diagnosis Maastricht-Hungarian standard test, 127 children (aged < 18) were included in the RD group and 81 in the control group. To measure comorbid psychopathology, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was administered. To evaluate the children’s QoL self- and parent-rated versions of the Measure of Quality of Life for Children and Adolescents (ILK) were used. Group differences in QoL and psychopathology were assessed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Moderated mediational models were tested in which comorbid psychopathology mediated the relationship between group membership and self- and parent-rated QoL, which was dependent on gender. Child’s age and parents’ level of education were included as covariates. Results: The RD group showed lower QoL than the controls in several domains, according to the parent-report, while no differences between the two groups were found, according to self-report. In boys, results revealed conditional and indirect effects of group membership on self- and parent-rated QoL through comorbid psychopathology (-.046, BCa 95%CI: -.135 −.043 and .064, BCa 95%CI: .024−.111, respectively) as well as a conditional direct effect of group membership on parent-reported (-.098, BCa 95%CI: .012−.184), but not self-rated, QoL. No relationship was found for girls. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of measuring QoL and comorbid psychopathology in children with RDs from more sources and accounting for gender and age differences

Potrebe u ishrani mlađi štuke (esox lucius) gajene u recirkulacionom sistemu

Zahvaljujući napretku tehnologije, danas je moguće intenzivno gajenje juvenilne štuke u recirkulacionom sistemu korišćenjem formulisane komercijalne hrane (Wolnicki i Górny 1997). Komercijalna hrana koja se trenutno koristi za ishranu štuke je formulisana za druge vrste kao što su pastrmka, som i jesetra. Ova hrana se veoma razlikuje po sastavu proteina i sadržaju energije, što može da utiče na parametre proizvodnje. Smanjivanje odnosa svrarljivosti proteina/energetska efikasnost (DP/DE) u smešama može dovesti do većeg zadržavanja proteina, međutim može imati efekte na zdravlje riba i kvalitet proizvoda. Prvi cilj ove studije je bio da se istraži efekat komercijalnih smeša sa različitom koncentracijom proteina i lipida na juvenilne štuke manje od 20g (eksperiment I) i preko 70g (eksperiment II). Današnji trendovi u proizvodnji hrane za ribe su usmereni u pravcu zamene ribljeg brašna alternativnim izvorima proteina kao što su biljke, suvozemne životinje i nus-proizvodi. Ovi trendovi su dirigovani kako ekonomskim tako i etičkim pitanjima (Brinker and Reiter 2011). Drugi cilj ovog rada je bio da se istraži delimična zamena ribljeg brašna u smešama. U trećem eksperimentu, ispitivana je delimična zamena ribljeg brašna sa pšeničnim glutenom i živinskim brašnom

A New Concept to Secure Food Safety Standards against Fusarium Species and Aspergillus Flavus and Their Toxins in Maize

Commercial maize hybrids are exposed to different degrees of ear infection by toxigenic fungal species and toxin contamination. Their resistance to different fungi and toxin relationships are largely unknown. Without this knowledge, screening and breeding are not possible for these pathogens. Seven- to tenfold differences were found in resistance to Fusarium spp., and there was a five-fold difference in ear coverage (%) in response to A. flavus. Three hybrids of the twenty entries had lower infection severity compared with the general means for toxigenic species. Three were highly susceptible to each, and 14 hybrids reacted differently to the different fungi. Differences were also observed in the toxin content. Again, three hybrids had lower toxin content in response to all toxigenic species, one had higher values for all, and 16 had variable resistance levels. Correlations between infection severity and deoxynivalenol (DON) content were 0.95 and 0.82 (p = 0.001) for F. graminearum and F. culmorum, respectively. For fumonisin and F. verticillioides ear rot, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was 0.45 (p = 0.05). Two independent isolates with different aggressiveness were used, and their mean X values better described the resistance levels. This increased the reliability of the data. With the introduction of this methodological concept (testing the resistance levels separately for different fungi and with two isolates independently), highly significant resistance differences were found. The resistance to different fungal species correlated only in certain cases; thus, each should be tested separately. This is very useful in registration tests and post-registration screening and breeding. This would allow a rapid increase in food and feed safety

Differentiation of acute and four-week old myocardial infarct with Gd(ABE-DTTA)-enhanced CMR

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Standard extracellular cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) contrast agents (CA) do not provide differentiation between acute and older myocardial infarcts (MI). The purpose of this study was to develop a method for differentiation between acute and older myocardial infarct using myocardial late-enhancement (LE) CMR by a new, low molecular weight contrast agent.</p> <p>Dogs (n = 6) were studied in a closed-chest, reperfused, double myocardial infarct model. Myocardial infarcts were generated by occluding the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) coronary artery with an angioplasty balloon for 180 min, and four weeks later occluding the Left Circumflex (LCx) coronary artery for 180 min. LE images were obtained on day 3 and day 4 after second myocardial infarct, using Gd(DTPA) (standard extracellular contrast agent) and Gd(ABE-DTTA) (new, low molecular weight contrast agent), respectively. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) histomorphometry validated existence and location of infarcts. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome staining provided histologic evaluation of infarcts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Gd(ABE-DTTA) or Gd(DTPA) highlighted the acute infarct, whereas the four-week old infarct was visualized by Gd(DTPA), but not by Gd(ABE-DTTA). With Gd(ABE-DTTA), the mean ± SD signal intensity enhancement (SIE) was 366 ± 166% and 24 ± 59% in the acute infarct and the four-week old infarct, respectively (P < 0.05). The latter did not differ significantly from signal intensity in healthy myocardium (P = NS). Gd(DTPA) produced signal intensity enhancements which were similar in acute (431 ± 124%) and four-week old infarcts (400 ± 124%, P = NS), and not statistically different from the Gd(ABE-DTTA)-induced SIE in acute infarct. The existence and localization of both infarcts were confirmed by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC). Histologic evaluation demonstrated coagulation necrosis, inflammation, and multiple foci of calcification in the four day old infarct, while the late subacute infarct showed granulation tissue and early collagen deposition.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Late enhancement CMR with separate administrations of standard extracellular contrast agent, Gd(DTPA), and the new low molecular weight contrast agent, Gd(ABE-DTTA), differentiates between acute and late subacute infarct in a reperfused, double infarct, canine model.</p

Evaluation of kratom opioid derivatives as potential treatment option for alcohol use disorder

Background and Purpose: Mitragyna speciosa extract and kratom alkaloids decrease alcohol consumption in mice at least in part through actions at the δ-opioid receptor (δOR). However, the most potent opioidergic kratom alkaloid, 7-hydroxymitragynine, exhibits rewarding properties and hyperlocomotion presumably due to preferred affinity for the mu opioid receptor (µOR). We hypothesized that opioidergic kratom alkaloids like paynantheine and speciogynine with reduced µOR potency could provide a starting point for developing opioids with an improved therapeutic window to treat alcohol use disorder. Experimental Approach: We characterized paynantheine, speciociliatine, and four novel kratom-derived analogs for their ability to bind and activate δOR, µOR, and κOR. Select opioids were assessed in behavioral assays in male C57BL/6N WT and δOR knockout mice. Key Results: Paynantheine (10 mg∙kg(−1), i.p.) produced aversion in a limited conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm but did not produce CPP with additional conditioning sessions. Paynantheine did not produce robust antinociception but did block morphine-induced antinociception and hyperlocomotion. Yet, at 10 and 30 mg∙kg(−1) doses (i.p.), paynantheine did not counteract morphine CPP. 7-hydroxypaynantheine and 7-hydroxyspeciogynine displayed potency at δOR but limited µOR potency relative to 7-hydroxymitragynine in vitro, and dose-dependently decreased voluntary alcohol consumption in WT but not δOR in KO mice. 7-hydroxyspeciogynine has a maximally tolerated dose of at least 10 mg∙kg(−1) (s.c.) at which it did not produce significant CPP neither alter general locomotion nor induce noticeable seizures. Conclusion and Implications: Derivatizing kratom alkaloids with the goal of enhancing δOR potency and reducing off-target effects could provide a pathway to develop novel lead compounds to treat alcohol use disorder with an improved therapeutic window