Efficiency of Effectiveness? The Hungarian Practice of Using the EU Funds

Efficiency or effectiveness? It not just the matter of definition. Experts and researchers have to make a difference between the qualitative and quantitative approach. The efficiency of EU subsidies means the ratio of the committed and disposable amount of EU subsidies can be measured, which was used and paid out within the given timeframe and along the legal regulations. The effectiveness of EU subsidies needs a much more complicated and complex approach than efficiency. The effectiveness of usage on a project level can be measured by the ‘added value’ of the project; and on the programme level by the added GDP growth or employment rate. The following research essentially analyses the project level or micro-effectiveness, however, it discusses the results of some macro-analyses as well (qualitative approach)

Substantial variation across geographic regions in the obesity prevalence among 6–8 years old Hungarian children (COSI Hungary 2016)

Abstract Background There have been previous representative nutritional status surveys conducted in Hungary, but this is the first one that examines overweight and obesity prevalence according to the level of urbanization and in different geographic regions among 6–8-year-old children. We also assessed whether these variations were different by sex. Methods This survey was part of the fourth data collection round of World Health Organization (WHO) Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative which took place during the academic year 2016/2017. The representative sample was determined by two-stage cluster sampling. A total of 5332 children (48.4% boys; age 7.54 ± 0.64 years) were measured from all seven geographic regions including urban (at least 500 inhabitants per square kilometer; n = 1598), semi-urban (100 to 500 inhabitants per square kilometer; n = 1932) and rural (less than 100 inhabitants per square kilometer; n = 1802) areas. Results Using the WHO reference, prevalence of overweight and obesity within the whole sample were 14.2, and 12.7%, respectively. According to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reference, rates were 12.6 and 8.6%. Northern Hungary and Southern Transdanubia were the regions with the highest obesity prevalence of 11.0 and 12.0%, while Central Hungary was the one with the lowest obesity rate (6.1%). The prevalence of overweight and obesity tended to be higher in rural areas (13.0 and 9.8%) than in urban areas (11.9 and 7.0%). Concerning differences in sex, girls had higher obesity risk in rural areas (OR = 2.0) but boys did not. Odds ratios were 2.0–3.4 in different regions for obesity compared to Central Hungary, but only among boys. Conclusions Overweight and obesity are emerging problems in Hungary. Remarkable differences were observed in the prevalence of obesity by geographic regions. These variations can only be partly explained by geographic characteristics. Trial registration Study protocol was approved by the Scientific and Research Ethics Committee of the Medical Research Council (61158–2/2016/EKU)

Functional significance of the taper of vertebrate cone photoreceptors

© The Author(s), 2012. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Journal of General Physiology 139 (2012): 159-187, doi:10.1085/jgp.201110692.Vertebrate photoreceptors are commonly distinguished based on the shape of their outer segments: those of cones taper, whereas the ones from rods do not. The functional advantages of cone taper, a common occurrence in vertebrate retinas, remain elusive. In this study, we investigate this topic using theoretical analyses aimed at revealing structure–function relationships in photoreceptors. Geometrical optics combined with spectrophotometric and morphological data are used to support the analyses and to test predictions. Three functions are considered for correlations between taper and functionality. The first function proposes that outer segment taper serves to compensate for self-screening of the visual pigment contained within. The second function links outer segment taper to compensation for a signal-to-noise ratio decline along the longitudinal dimension. Both functions are supported by the data: real cones taper more than required for these compensatory roles. The third function relates outer segment taper to the optical properties of the inner compartment whereby the primary determinant is the inner segment’s ability to concentrate light via its ellipsoid. In support of this idea, the rod/cone ratios of primarily diurnal animals are predicted based on a principle of equal light flux gathering between photoreceptors. In addition, ellipsoid concentration factor, a measure of ellipsoid ability to concentrate light onto the outer segment, correlates positively with outer segment taper expressed as a ratio of characteristic lengths, where critical taper is the yardstick. Depending on a light-funneling property and the presence of focusing organelles such as oil droplets, cone outer segments can be reduced in size to various degrees. We conclude that outer segment taper is but one component of a miniaturization process that reduces metabolic costs while improving signal detection. Compromise solutions in the various retinas and retinal regions occur between ellipsoid size and acuity, on the one hand, and faster response time and reduced light sensitivity, on the other.This work was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant 238886 and a Grass-Marine Biological Laboratory Sabbatical Fellowship in Neurosciences to I. Novales Flamarique.2012-07-1

The distributional impact of VAT reduction for food in Hungary: Results from a Hungarian microsimulation model

In this paper we illustrate how the incorporation of behavioural responses and dynamic effects alters the conclusions of static household microsimulation models on the distributional impacts of economic policies. Based on Hungary's Household Budget and Living Conditions Survey, we model household consumption using the demand system approach of Creedy, 1998. This method makes it possible to obtain reasonable price elasticity estimates of consumption from cross-sectional data by combining them with Frisch-parameter values obtained from cross-country studies. With this consumption module, we simulate the distributional impacts of a hypothetical food VAT rate change in Hungary and show how the static and behavioural impact estimates differ according to income decile. We examine the sensitivity of our results to the choice of the country-level Frisch-parameter and to a realistic allowance for household-level variation in the Frisch-parameter

Proton beam micromachined buried microchannels in negative tone resist materials

In the present work the Atomki, Debrecen microprobe facility has been used to write long tilted structures by 2 MeV protons. For the formation of the structures, two exposures have been carried out at +20° and -20° using a goniometer stage sample holder. The tilted structures were resolved in the negative tone resist materials SU-8 and ADEPR (an aqueous base developable chemically amplified resist). The length of the microchannels was varied between 100 μm and 1000 μm, the wall thickness was less than 10 μm. By applying the developed methodology it was possible to resolve the desired layout through the whole length of the channel. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved