Heterogeneous photocatalysis of sulfonamides using TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysts with mercury-vapor and led light sources

Sulfonamides are one of the most often used antibiotics worldwide. The spread of antibioticresistant bacteria and the serious health problems caused by them justify the importance of removing antibiotics and their metabolites from water. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is one of the promising methods for elimination of trace organic pollutants from water. This work aims at the investigation of heterogeneous photocatalytic removal of two sulfonamide antibiotics, sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxypyridazine. Commercially available TiO2 and ZnO were used as photocatalysts, and a mercury vapor lamp (300-400 nm) and UV-LEDs (398 nm) were used as light sources. The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of heterogeneous photocatalysis in the removal of sulfonamides were compared, using TiO2 and ZnO, in suspensions irradiated with mercury vapor lamp and LEDs. The mercury vapor lamp was found to be more effective due to the better utilization of UV light by the photocatalysts. The LED light source was also worse in terms of operating costs, and TiO2 with mercury vapor lamps was the most efficient at removing the total organic carbon content

Candidate New Rotavirus Species in Sheltered Dogs, Hungary

We identified unusual rotavirus strains in fecal specimens from sheltered dogs in Hungary by viral metagenomics. The novel rotavirus species displayed limited genome sequence homology to representatives of the 8 rotavirus species, A–H, and qualifies as a candidate new rotavirus species that we tentatively named Rotavirus I

Acetyl-l-carnitine normalizes the impaired long-term potentiation and spine density in a rat model of global ischemia

Aim: The aim of this study was to enhance the knowledge regarding actors and intentions in the development process of a mobile phone platform for self-management of hypertension. Methods: Our research approach was a 14-month longitudinal “real-time ethnography” method of description and analysis. Data were collected through focus groups with patients and providers, patient interviews, and design meetings with researchers and experts. The analysis was informed by the concepts of actors and inscriptions in actor-network theory (ANT). Results: Our study showed that laypersons, scientific actors, as well as technology itself, might influence development processes of support for self-management of hypertension. The intentions were inscribed into the technology design as well as the models of learning and treatment. Conclusions: The study highlighted important aspects of how actors and intentions feature in the development of the mobile phone platform to support self-management of hypertension. The study indicated the multifacetedness of the participating actors, including the prominent role of technology. The concrete results of such processes included questions in the self-report system, learning and treatment models

Magyar nyelvű időpont-egyeztető dialógusrendszer v2

A dialógusrendszerek fejlesztése napjaink fontos kutatási területévé nőtte ki magát. Munkánkban a korábban bemutatott időpont-egyeztetésre szolgáló chatbotunk felhasználói visszajelzésekből származó tapasztalatait tárgyaljuk, valamint részletezzük, hogy az így megtalált hibákat/hiányosságokat milyen módon javítottuk ki. A legfontosabb fejlesztésünk, hogy a dialógus állapotainak leírására egy teljes új reprezentációt vezettünk be, ami az időpontegyeztetés, mint tárgyalási feladatot általánosan tudja támogatni. Célunk kezdetektől fogva a telefonos időpont-egyeztetés volt. Bemutatjuk chatbotunk beszéd-alapú interfészre való adaptálásának első lépéseit, egy kis mintás kiértékelésen keresztül

Systemic administration of l-kynurenine sulfate induces cerebral hypoperfusion transients in adult C57Bl/6 mice

The kynurenine pathway is a cascade of enzymatic steps generating biologically active compounds. l-kynurenine (l-KYN) is a central metabolite of tryptophan degradation. In the mammalian brain, l-KYN is partly converted to kynurenic acid (KYNA), which exerts multiple effects on neurotransmission. Recently, l-KYN or one of its derivatives were attributed a direct role in the regulation of the systemic circulation. l-KYN dilates arterial blood vessels during sepsis in rats, while it increases cerebral blood flow (CBF) in awake rabbits. Therefore, we hypothesized that acute elevation of systemic l-KYN concentration may exert potential effects on mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and on resting CBF in the mouse brain. C57Bl/6 male mice were anesthetized with isoflurane, and MABP was monitored in the femoral artery, while CBF was assessed through the intact parietal bone with the aid of laser speckle contrast imaging. l-KYN sulfate (l-KYNs) (300mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally. Subsequently, MABP and CBF were continuously monitored for 2.5h. In the control group, MABP and CBF were stable (69+/-4mmHg and 100+/-5%, respectively) throughout the entire data acquisition period. In the l-KYNs-treated group, MABP was similar to that, of control group (73+/-6mmHg), while hypoperfusion transients of 22+/-6%, lasting 7+/-3min occurred in the cerebral cortex over the first 60-120min following drug administration. In conclusion, the systemic high-dose of l-KYNs treatment destabilizes resting CBF by inducing a number of transient hypoperfusion events. This observation indicates the careful consideration of the dose of l-KYN administration by interpreting the effect of kynurenergic manipulation on brain function. By planning clinical trials basing on kynurenergic manipulation possible vascular side effects should also be considered