Comparison of ovarian cycles of Hungarian riverine fish species representing different spawning strategies

Investigations on the ovarian cycle of fish species that inhabit Hungarian rivers are necessitated by both environmental and economic reasons. The objective of our research was to explore new fundamental knowledge concerning the ovarian cycle of the white bream (Blicca bjoerkna, Linnaeus, 1758), barbel (Barbus barbus, Linnaeus, 1758), orfe (Leuciscus idus, Linnaeus, 1758) and nase (Chondrostoma nasus, Linnaeus, 1758). Histological investigation of ovaries and determination of proportions of oocytes in different stages of development is an appropriate method for the description of spawning characteristics of these species. Our results show that the GSI value for all four investigated species starts to increase at the end of summer and reaches its maximum before spawning. In the barbel and white bream, the presence of oocytes in the stage of cortical alveoli and the heterogeneous size of oocytes in the stage of vitellogenesis in the pre-spawning period indicate that barbel and white bream are multiple spawners. In contrast, in the orfe and nase, the absence of oocytes in the stage of cortical alveoli and the homogeneous size of cells in the stage of vitellogenesis indicate that orfe and nase are single spawners

Arabinose biopurification by Ogataea zsoltii yeast

Arabinose is a five carbon sugar which exists in nature as a component of hemicellulose and pectin polymers, naturally occurs in L - configuration . It is used as diet controlling food additive, important intermediate for anti - virus drug synthesis and as base material in the production of vitamin B 2 , among other applications . Commercial production of L - arabinose begins with the acid hydrolysis of gum arabic followed by expensive purification steps. Nowadays biopurification have become an attractive approach for purifying high - value sugars from lignocellulosic hydrolysates . Ogataea zsoltii yeast was investigated in terms of its ability to perform arabinose biopurification on semidefined medium and on the supernatant of acidi c hydrolysis of corn fibre. Arabinose biopurification was performed in shake flasks and bench - top bioreactor under aerobic conditions. Based on our results, this strain can be used for arabinose biopurification on both medium , resulting in near 90 % purity for arabinose

Circadian Variation of Migraine Attack Onset: A Review of Clinical Studies

Several studies suggested that migraine attack onset shows a circadian variation; however, there has not been an overview and synthesis of these findings. A PubMed search with keywords "migraine" AND "circadian" resulted in ten studies directly investigating this topic. Results of these studies mostly show that migraine attacks follow a monophasic 24-hour cyclic pattern with an early morning or late night peak while other studies reported an afternoon peak and also a biphasic 24-hour cycle of attacks. The identified studies showed methodological variation including sample size, inclusion of medication use, comorbidities, and night or shift workers which could have contributed to the contradictory results. Several theories emerged explaining the diurnal distribution of migraine attacks suggesting roles for different phenomena including a morning rise in cortisol levels, a possible hypothalamic dysfunction, a circadian variation of migraine triggers, sleep stages, and a potentially different setting of the circadian pacemaker among migraineurs. At the moment, most studies show an early morning or late night peak of migraine attack onset, but a significant amount of studies reveals contradictory results. Further studies should investigate the arising hypotheses to improve our understanding of the complex mechanism behind the circadian variation of migraine attacks that can shed light on new targets for migraine therapy

Patterns of C1-Inhibitor/Plasma Serine Protease Complexes in Healthy Humans and in Hereditary Angioedema Patients

C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) is an important regulator of the complement, coagulation, fibrinolytic and contact systems. The quantity of protease/C1-INH complexes in the blood is proportional to the level of the in vivo activation of these four cascade-like plasma enzyme systems. Parallel determination of C1-INH-containing activation complexes could be important to understand the regulatory role of C1-INH in diseases such as hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1-INH deficiency (C1-INH-HAE). We developed in-house ELISAs to measure the concentration of complexes of C1-INH formed with active proteases: C1r, C1s, MASP-1, MASP-2, plasma kallikrein, factor XIIa, factor XIa, and thrombin, as well as to determine total and functionally active C1-INH. We measured the concentration of the complexes in EDTA plasma from 6 healthy controls, from 5 with type I and 5 with type II C1-INH-HAE patients during symptom-free periods and from five patients during HAE attacks. We also assessed the concentration of these complexes in blood samples taken from one C1-INH-HAE patient during the kinetic follow-up of a HAE attack. The overall pattern of complexed C1-INH was similar in controls and C1-INH-HAE patients. C1-INH formed the highest concentration complexes with C1r and C1s. We observed higher plasma kallikrein/C1-INH complex concentration in both type I and type II C1-INH-HAE, and higher concentration of MASP-1/C1-INH, and MASP-2/C1-INH complexes in type II C1-INH-HAE patients compared to healthy controls and type I patients. Interestingly, none of the C1-INH complex concentrations changed significantly during HAE attacks. During the kinetic follow-up of an HAE attack, the concentration of plasma kallikrein/C1-INH complex was elevated at the onset of the attack. In parallel, C1r, FXIIa and FXIa complexes of C1-INH also tended to be elevated, and the changes in the concentrations of the complexes followed rather rapid kinetics. Our results suggest that the complement classical pathway plays a critical role in the metabolism of C1-INH, however, in C1-INH-HAE, contact system activation is the most significant in this respect. Due to the fast changes in the concentration of complexes, high resolution kinetic follow-up studies are needed to clarify the precise molecular background of C1-INH-HAE pathogenesis

Reflecting on Bentham's Panopticon

In the 21st century it is impossible to avoid surveillance with coming of advanced technology. In my thesis I am examining different aspects of surveillance society. Bentham's idea of the Panopticon was drafted more than a century ago, but it is still relevant. While also reflecting on the idea of the Panopticon we must be aware of different surveillance methods and the affect these have on society in whole and the individual. From everyday to literary examples I wish to find answers to what extent we can be surveilled and whether it is possible to create a modern Panopticon with new technology.BSc/BAAnglisztikaB