Aesthetics in Hungary: Traditions and Perspectives

The paper is meant to introduce a symposium on aesthetics in Hungary today. Through a brief survey of the Hungarian aesthetic tradition, which goes back to the eclectic “university aesthetics” of the late 18th century and produced a number of prominent figures such as Georg Lukács and his disciples in the “Budapest School” in the 20th century, the paper seeks to point out some key characteristics of this tradition and to reflect on the intellectual landscape of contemporary aesthetics in Hungary, diversified by many fields of study, methods and subdisciplines

Voltage-time dilemma and stochastic threshold voltage variation in pure silver atomic switches

The formation and dissolution of silver nanowires plays a fundamental role in a broad range of resistive switching devices, fundamentally relying on the electrochemical metallization phenomenon. It was shown, however, that resistive switching may also appear in pure metallic nanowires lacking any silver-ion-hosting embedding environment, but this pure atomic switching mechanism fundamentally differs from the conventional electrochemical-metallization-based resistive switching. To facilitate the quantitative description of the former phenomenon, we investigate broad range of Ag atomic junctions with a special focus on the frequency-dependence and the fundamentally stochastic cycle-to-cycle variation of the switching threshold voltage. These devices are established in an ultra-high purity environment where electrochemical metallization can be excluded. The measured characteristics are successfully described by a vibrational pumping model, yielding consistent predictions for the weak frequency dependence and the large variance of the switching threshold voltage. We also demonstrate that electrochemical-metallization-based resistive switching and pure atomic switching may appear in the same device structure, and therefore the proper understanding of the pure atomic switching mechanism has a distinguished importance in silver-based electrochemical metallization cells

Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant and anti-aggregatory effect and mechanism of action of some antifibrinogen RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp-containing) peptides

Vasorelaxation caused by some antifibrinogen RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp-containing) peptides and their basic mechanism of action was studied on rabbit isolated thoracic aortic rings preconstricted with 0.25 mu M phenylephrine. GRGDS (Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-OH) and RGDV (Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH) caused dose-dependent relaxation. RGDS (Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-OH) had a biphasic effect (a transient relaxation followed by a contraction) while GRGDS-[SE] (Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser(SO3)-OH) did not change the isometric tone of precontracted aortic preparations. GRGDS and RGDV exerted no relaxing effect on endothelium-denuded blood vessels suggesting that the vascular action of these peptides was entirely dependent on the presence of functionally intact endothelium. L-N-G-Nitro-arginine (30 mu M) attenuated the relaxation induced by GRGDS and abolished that induced by RGDV. All of the four RGD congeners inhibited ADP-induced aggregation of human platelets. These findings indicate that the relaxant effect of RGDV is mediated exclusively by the nitric oxide pathway, but GRGDS could cause, besides nitric oxide release, the release of another substance which is different from nitric oxide. Because the rank order of the vasorelaxant potencies of RGD peptides differed from that found for their anti-aggregatory activities, a vascular effector mechanism mediated by an ROD-recognizing structure other than the known glycoprotein IIb/ma-like ROD-binding site is suggested

The bs5 allele of the susceptibility gene Bs5 of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) encoding a natural deletion variant of a CYSTM protein conditions resistance to bacterial spot disease caused by Xanthomonas species

The recessive bs5 gene of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) conditions a non-hypersensitive resistance trait, character- ized by a slightly swollen, pale green, photosynthetically active leaf tissue, following Xanthomonas euvesicatoria infection. The isolation of the bs5 gene by map-based cloning revealed that the bs5 protein was shorter by 2 amino acids as compared to the wild type Bs5 protein. The natural 2 amino acid deletion occurred in the cysteine-rich transmembrane domain of the tail-anchored (TA) protein, Ca_CYSTM1. The protein products of the wild type Bs5 and mutant bs5 genes were shown to be located in the cell membrane, indicating an unknown function in this membrane compartment. Successful infection of the Bs5 pepper lines was abolished by the 6 bp deletion in the TM encoding domain of the Ca_CYSTM1 gene in bs5 homozygotes, suggesting, that the resulting resistance might be explained by the lack of entry of the Xanthomonas specific effector molecules into the plant cells

Dihydropyridine derivatives modulate heat shock responses and have a neuroprotective effect in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) have chaperone activity and play a pivotal role in the homeostasis of proteins by preventing misfolding, by clearing aggregated and damaged proteins from cells and by maintaining proteins in an active state. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is thought to be caused by β- amyloid peptide that triggers tau hyperphosphorylation, which is neurotoxic. Although proteostasis capacity declines with age and facilitates the manifestation of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, the upregulation of chaperones improves prognosis. Our research goal is to identify potent Hsp co-inducers that enhance protein homeostasis for the treatment of AD, especially 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives optimized for their ability to modulate cellular stress responses. Based on favorable toxicological data and Hsp co-inducing activity, LA1011 was selected for the in vivo analysis of its neuroprotective effect in the APPxPS1 mouse model of AD. Here, we report that 6 months of LA1011 administration effectively improved the spatial learning and memory functions in wild type mice and eliminated neurodegeneration in double mutant mice. Furthermore, Hsp co-inducer therapy preserves the number of neurons, increases dendritic spine density, and reduces tau pathology and amyloid plaque formation in transgenic AD mice. In conclusion, the Hsp co-inducer LA1011 is neuroprotective and therefore is a potential pharmaceutical candidate for the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly AD

Angewandte anthropologische Ästhetik. Konzepte und Praktiken 1700–1900 = Applied Anthropological Aesthetics. Concepts and Practices 1700–1900

Im Mittelpunkt des Bandes steht die Geschichte der angewandten anthropologischen Ästhetik zwischen 1700 und 1900 im deutschen und ›habsburgischen‹ Raum. Die französische und britische Ästhetik kommen als Kontexte ebenso in den Blick wie die Protoästhetik zu Beginn des 18. und die national gefärbte Bildungsästhetik am Ausgang des 19. Jahrhunderts. Die Beiträge akzentuieren die verschiedenen Formen des Sowohl-als-auch-Denkens innerhalb eines integrativen Schönheitsdiskurses, der stets auf die Verknüpfung von Theorie und Praxis, die Inbeziehungsetzung von Tradition und Innovation und die Ausbalancierung von Vernunft und Sinnlichkeit bedacht war. Das Themenfeld umfasst theoretische und praktische Bezüge der Musik-, Garten-, Frauen-, Universitäts- und Kunst- bzw. Literaturästhetik sowie angrenzende Gebiete wie die popularaufklärerische Rhetorik. Behandelt werden dabei u.a. Edmund Burke, Jean-Baptiste Du Bos, Johann Joachim Eschenburg, Franz Ficker, August Greguss, Michael Greguss, Karl Heinrich Heydenreich, August Gottlieb Meißner, Ernst Platner, Tobias Gottfried Schröer, Ferenc Széchényi und Friedrich August Clemens Werthes

Lipid-membrán iskola a Szegedi Biológiai Központban = Lipid-membrane school at the Biological Research Center

Tisztelegve az elhúnyt Farkas Tibor akadémikus emlékének, a Lipid-Membán Iskola a Szegedi Biológiai Központban minden tekintetben végrehajtotta a pályázatban tervezett feladatait, teljesítette misszióját. Képes volt a meglévő tudás valamint eszközállomány összefogására, koncentrált és hatékony kihasználására. A közös munka eredményeképpen számos, stratégiailag igen jelentős fejlesztés vált lehetővé. Nagy számú új, eredeti tudományos eredmény (köztük több review, ill. könyv) publikációjára került ill. kerül még sor a program lezárását követően. Törekvéseink fénypontját jelzik az egymolekula követésére alkalmas mikroszkópiás laboratórium (nanotechnológiai alapú membrán kutatóhely, SzBK) ill. az első hazai lipidomikai vertikum (SzTE, SzBK ) teljes kiépítése. Kiemelendő, hogy a program célkitűzésének megfelelően a kutatásba számos hallgatót vontunk be. Szakdolgozatok ill. PhD disszertációk születtek a pályázat támogatásával. Aktivitásunk egyértelmű nemzetközi elismeréseképpen 2006-ban Magyarországon kerül megrendezésre a Nemzetközi Lipidtudományi Konferencia (ICBL) kollégáink rendezésében, Vígh László elnökletével. A Lipid-Membrán Iskola szegedi résztvevői az alap- és alkalmazott lipid és membrán kutatási eredményeik, valamint a kiépült együttműködéseik alapján sikeresen részévé váltak a Dél-Alföldi Neurobiológiai Tudásközpontnak. | Saluting to the memory of late Tibor Farkas, the Lipid-Membrane School in the Szeged Biological Research Center successfully accomplished its major goals and fulfilled its mission. The school became capable for bringing together the preexisting knowledges and resources, by effectively concentrate and exploit them. As a result of the common and complementary efforts, several highly important and ambicious projects have been implemented. As a result of these, high number of new, original publications, reviews indicated the success. Amongst of our most remarkable achievements, we should mention the foundation of the nanotech based single molecule microscopy technique, allowing the real-time monitoring of most various lipid-membrane events (BRC). We are also proud, that the first Hungarian lipidomics lab can start soon its operation (SzTE, BRC). Several students participated in our activity: prepared diploma work and PhD thesis. Best highlighting our successful activity, our colleaques will organize the next International Congress of Lipid Sciences (ICBL), chaired by Laszlo Vigh. Based on their basic and applied research related activities and cooperation, most of the participants of the peresently terminated Szeged Lipid-Membrane School have joined successfully the Szeged Neurobiological Knowledge Center

Anthropologische Ästhetik in Mitteleuropa 1750–1850 / Anthropological Aesthetics in Central Europe 1750–1850

Der Band versammelt Beiträge zu einer mitteleuropäischen Ästhetikgeschichte zwischen 1750 und 1850. Betrachtet man diese Epoche der Ästhetik nicht unter der Vorgabe einer vom einschlägigen Kanon einer ›großen Erzählung‹ dominierten, sondern einer kontextualisierenden Sichtweise, kommt die sogenannte anthropologische Ästhetik zum Vorschein. Als neuhumanistische Bildungsdisziplin erfreute sie sich zeitgenössisch gerade in Mitteleuropa einer großen Verbreitung, verlor jedoch aus der Perspektive einer späteren, selektiven Philosophiegeschichtsschreibung ge- genüber der Ästhetik des deutschen Idealismus an Ansehen. Der Sammelband enthält Fallstudien zur anthropologischen Universitäts- und Gymnasial- bzw. Zeitschriftenästhetik von deutschen, österreichischen und ungarischen Ästhetiker. Dabei stehen die Wege des Wissenstransfers innerhalb des grenzüberschreitenden ästhetischen Diskurses und die Frage, wie die behandelten Ästhetiker ins Netzwerk des ästhetischen Wissens eingebunden waren, im Zentrum. Behandelt werden u.a. Friedrich Bouterwek, Aurél Dessewffy, Karl Heinrich Heydenreich, Franz Samuel Karpe, János Kis, Wilhelm Traugott Krug, Joseph Calasanz Likawetz, István Márton, József Rozgonyi, Karl Georg Rumy, Lajos Schedius, Friedrich Schiller, Alajos György Szerdahely, Ferenc Verseghy, Gottfried Immanuel Wenzel und Heinrich Zschokke