LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION IN HUNGARY

Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Investigation of a VLSI neural network chip as part of a secondary vertex trigger

Abstract An analog VLSI neural network chip (ETANN) has been trained to detect secondary vertices in simulated data for a fixed target heavy flavour production experiment. The detector response and associative memory track finding were modelled by a simulation, but the vertex detection was performed in hardware by the neural network chip and requires only a few microseconds per event. The chip correctly tags 30% of the heavy flavour events while rejecting 99% of the background, and is thus well adapted for secondary vertex triggering applications. A general purpose VME module for interfacing the ETANN to experiments, equipped with ADC/DAC circuits and a 68070 CPU, is also presented

Association of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha gene polymorphism with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in a Caucasian (Hungarian) sample

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) is a transcription factor that plays an important role in neo-vascularisation, embryonic pancreas beta-cell mass development, and beta cell protection. Recently a non synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (g.C45035T SNP, rs11549465) of HIF-1alpha gene, resulting in the p.P582S amino acid change has been shown to be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in a Japanese population. Our aim was to replicate these findings on a Caucasian (Hungarian) population, as well as to study whether this genetic effect is restricted to T2DM or can be expanded to diabetes in general. METHODS: A large Caucasian sample (N = 890) was recruited including 370 T2DM, 166 T1DM and 354 healthy subjects. Genotyping was validated by two independent methods: a restriction fragment analysis (RFLP) and a real time PCR using TaqMan probes. An overestimation of heterozygotes by RFLP was observed as a consequence of a nearby SNP (rs34005929). Therefore genotyping results of the justified TaqMan system were accepted. The measured genotype distribution corresponded to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P = 0.740) RESULTS: As the TT genotype was extremely rare in the population (0.6% in clinical sample and 2.5% in controls), the genotypes were grouped as T absent (CC) and T present (CT and TT). Genotype-wise analysis showed a significant increase of T present group in controls (24.0%) as compared to patients (16.8%, P = 0.008). This genetic effect was demonstrated in the separated samples of type 1 (15.1%, P = 0.020), and also in type 2 (17.6%, P = 0.032) diabetes. Allele-wise analysis gave identical results showing a higher frequency of the T allele in the control sample (13.3%) than in the clinical sample (8.7%, P = 0.002) with similar results in type 1 (7.8%, P = 0.010) and type 2 (9.1%, P = 0.011) diabetes. The odds ratio for diabetes (either type 1 or 2) was 1.56 in the presence of the C allele. CONCLUSION: We confirmed the protective effect of a rare genetic variant of HIF-1alpha gene against type 2 diabetes in a Caucasian sample. Moreover we demonstrated a genetic contribution of the same polymorphism in type 1 diabetes as well, supporting a possible overlap in pathomechanism for T2DM and a T1DM

A ZÖLDSÉGEK FOGYASZTÁSÁNAK VÁLTOZÁSA AZ ELMÚLT ÉVTIZEDBEN, A JÖVEDELMI KATEGÓRIÁK TÜKRÉBEN

A zöldségfélék fogyasztása a vizsgált időszakban, 1993 és 2002 között 56 és 64 kg/fő/év között ingadozott, de míg a legalacsonyabb jövedelműek csoportjában ez 42,3 kg/fő/év volt csupán, addig a legnagyobb jövedelműek csoportjában ez 83,7 kg/fő/év-et tett ki. Fontos megemlíteni, hogy 2002-ben minden jövedelmi csoportban kevesebb zöldséget fogyasztottak, mint 1993-ban! A tartósított zöld-ségek fogyasztása minden jövedelmi csoportban emelkedett, különösen a legna-gyobb jövedelműek körében. Figyelemre méltó, hogy a legkisebb és legnagyobb jövedelműek csoportjában a fogyasztott mennyiségekben a sárgarépa, petrezselyem, vöröshagyma, fejes- és kelkáposzta esetében kisebbek a különbségek, mint a zöldbab, zöldpaprika, pa-radicsom esetében, vagyis a jobb módúak ez utóbbiakból többet fogyasztottak. Mindezek támpontul szolgálhatnak a fogyasztási szokások befolyásolásához és a kínálati árak rugalmasabb alakításához. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Vegetable consumption fluctuated between 56 and 64 kg/head/year, during the period under investigation, 1993 to 2002. However, while consumption was a mere 42.3 kg/head/year in the lowest income group, it reached 83.7 kg/head/year in the highest income group. It is important to note that in 2002, all income groups consumed fewer vegetables than in 1993! The consumption of preserved vegetables rose in all income groups, but particularly in the highest. It is notable that there was less variance in the lowest and highest income groups’ consumption of carrots, parsley, onions, ordinary cabbage and savoy cabbage than of green beans, green peppers and tomatoes: the latter having a higher consumption rate among the well-off. All this may lend support to the influencing of consumer habits and more flexible supply pricing

GYÜMÖLCSFOGYASZTÁS A JÖVEDELEM FÜGGVÉNYÉBEN

A gyümölcsök fogyasztása 1993 és 1997 között fokozatosan visszaesett 65 kg-ról 49 kg-ra, majd emelkedésnek indult. Ez a folyamat egészen 2003-ig tartott, amikor 72 kg volt a fejenkénti fogyasztás. A termékek közül legtöbbet almából fogyasztunk, átlagosan 15 kg-ot fejenként, ennek a mennyiségnek valamivel több mint fele fogy el déligyümölcsökből és ettől is kevesebb görögdinnyéből, a többi gyümölcs jóval ezen értékek alatt található. A különböző szegmensek fogyasztási ingadozásai alapján elmondható, hogy a magasabb jövedelműek fogyasztása mindig stabilabb (a fogyasztás átlagához viszonyítva, százalékban kifejezve). Abszolút mércével viszont (az átlagtól való, kg-ban mért eltérés alapján) a magasabb jövedelműek fogyasztása nagyobb mértékben ingadozik, és így a teljes fogyasztást is nagyobb mértékben befolyásolják. A gyümölcsöket a piac differenciáltsága és a fogyasztás ingadozása alapján két csoportba osztottuk. Az 1. csoportba az ingadozó fogyasztású és differenciált piacú gyümölcsök tartoznak. A 2. csoportba pedig azok a termékek kerültek, amelyek fogyasztása kevésbé változik és a piacuk is kevésbé differenciált. - The aim of this work is to describe changes in fruit consumption in different income levels. Our hypothesis is that in higher income levels the fluctuation of consumption is higher (in absolute values), but relatively it is lower (according to average consumption at a given income level). While consumers with higher incomes have a stronger influence on consumption as a whole (than those with lower incomes), their relative indicator is much more stabilised. This is demonstrated in the case of processed fruits: consumers with the highest income increased their consumption to the highest degree (in absolute values); yet according to their average consumption (relative value) their increase was the lowest. This principle can be found in the case of other fruits as well. Apples, watermelon and tropical fruits are emphasised in this research. As for the relationship between segments with the lowest and highest income, the gap between them has been decreasing since 1997. This fact is due to the consumption fluctuations of those with the highest income (in absolute values). After the research into the above-mentioned products, other important fruits are examined and categorised

GYÃœMÖLCSFOGYASZTÃS A JÖVEDELEM FÃœGGVÉNYÉBEN

A gyümölcsök fogyasztása 1993 és 1997 között fokozatosan visszaesett 65 kg-ról 49 kg-ra, majd emelkedésnek indult. Ez a folyamat egészen 2003-ig tartott, amikor 72 kg volt a fejenkénti fogyasztás. A termékek közül legtöbbet almából fogyasztunk, átlagosan 15 kg-ot fejenként, ennek a mennyiségnek valamivel több mint fele fogy el déligyümölcsökbÅ‘l és ettÅ‘l is kevesebb görögdinnyébÅ‘l, a többi gyümölcs jóval ezen értékek alatt található. A különbözÅ‘ szegmensek fogyasztási ingadozásai alapján elmondható, hogy a magasabb jövedelműek fogyasztása mindig stabilabb (a fogyasztás átlagához viszonyítva, százalékban kifejezve). Abszolút mércével viszont (az átlagtól való, kg-ban mért eltérés alapján) a magasabb jövedelműek fogyasztása nagyobb mértékben ingadozik, és így a teljes fogyasztást is nagyobb mértékben befolyásolják. A gyümölcsöket a piac differenciáltsága és a fogyasztás ingadozása alapján két csoportba osztottuk. Az 1. csoportba az ingadozó fogyasztású és differenciált piacú gyümölcsök tartoznak. A 2. csoportba pedig azok a termékek kerültek, amelyek fogyasztása kevésbé változik és a piacuk is kevésbé differenciált. - The aim of this work is to describe changes in fruit consumption in different income levels. Our hypothesis is that in higher income levels the fluctuation of consumption is higher (in absolute values), but relatively it is lower (according to average consumption at a given income level). While consumers with higher incomes have a stronger influence on consumption as a whole (than those with lower incomes), their relative indicator is much more stabilised. This is demonstrated in the case of processed fruits: consumers with the highest income increased their consumption to the highest degree (in absolute values); yet according to their average consumption (relative value) their increase was the lowest. This principle can be found in the case of other fruits as well. Apples, watermelon and tropical fruits are emphasised in this research. As for the relationship between segments with the lowest and highest income, the gap between them has been decreasing since 1997. This fact is due to the consumption fluctuations of those with the highest income (in absolute values). After the research into the above-mentioned products, other important fruits are examined and categorised.fogyasztás, gyümölcsök, háztartás-statisztika, jövedelmi ötödök, consumption, fruit, household statistics, income fifths, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Remote ischaemic postconditioning protects the heart during acute myocardial infarction in pigs

Ischaemic preconditioning results in a reduction in ischaemic-reperfusion injury to the heart. This beneficial effect is seen both with direct local preconditioning of the myocardium and with remote preconditioning of easily accessible distant non-vital limb tissue. Ischaemic postconditioning with a comparable sequence of brief periods of local ischaemia, when applied immediately after the ischaemic insult, confers benefits similar to preconditioning

Agricultural economics and transition: What was expected, what we observed, the lessons learned Proceedings (Volume I / II)

Over fifteen years have elapsed since the transition from the centrally planned economic system started in the early 1990’s. During this time agricultural and rural areas of Central and Eastern Europe have undergone profound structural changes with wide variations in the degree of transformation and in the rate of success in creating a competitive market and private ownership based food and agricultural system. By becoming member of the European Union the "transition" in its traditional interpretation has been concluded in ten of the Central East European countries. The transition to market based agriculture, however, is far from completion in Southern and Eastern Europe and especially in the CIS countries. International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) and European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) in collaboration with the Corvinus University of Budapest and with a number of other institutions in Hungary organized an inter-conference seminar on the subject of agricultural transition in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The major objective of the seminar was to discuss and draw conclusions on the role of agricultural policy in the transition process in the light of actual progress and current situation in Central and East European countries and in formal Soviet States. In addition the contribution of agricultural economics – both from the West and from the East – as a discipline and a profession to the transition process in agriculture were discussed. A specific objective was to identify priorities and means to strengthen the agricultural economics profession in the transition countries and determine research and educational priorities for the future. The seminar was attended by 118 participants representing 26 countries from Europe, North America and Asia. The Seminar was the largest professional meeting organized by the two associations in 2007. Over 110 abstracts were submitted and evaluated by the International Program Committee. In the two day program of the meeting, 8 presentations were made during the 3 plenary sessions, 66 papers were presented in the 15 contributed paper sessions in 8 subject categories. In addition there were 15 posters discussed in the poster session and the findings of a World Bank study on distortions of agricultural incentives in the region was the subject of a pre-conference workshop. Plenary speakers included Ulrich Koester, Johan Swinnen, Jerzy Wilkin, Zvi Lerman, Eugenia Serova and József Popp-Gábor Udovecz. At the end of the seminar David Colman, President of IAAE gave a global assessment of the status of agricultural economics discipline and profession, while Csaba Csáki, former President of IAAE made summary comments on major issues discussed during the seminar. This volume includes the plenary and contributed papers presented at the seminar and submitted for publications by the authors as well as the abstracts of the poster papers discussed. The seminar was supported and sponsored by a number of organizations and persons. All of their contributions have to be greatly acknowledged. First the two international organizations IAAE and EAAE have to be mentioned, which provided overall organizational framework and logistical support. The IAAE provided in addition a generous grant to support the participation of young agricultural economists from Central and Eastern Europe on the seminar. On the Hungarian side the Corvinus University of Budapest, the Szent István University of Gödöllő, the Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, the Hungarian Agricultural Economics Association, the Hungarian Association of Agricultural Sciences and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were the major material and organizational supporters. The International Program committee was chaired by David Colman and Csaba Csáki and included Ulrich Koester, Joe Swinnen, Eugenia Serova and Jerzy Wilkin. The local Organizing committee was chaired by Csaba Forgács and István Szűcs and included Zoltán Lakner, András Nábrádi, József Popp, József Tóth, Gábor Udovecz, László Vajda, László Villányi, Krisztina Fodor, Attila Jámbor and Tamás Mizik. Finally IAMO, Halle facilitated the publication of this proceedings