Estimates of and Problems with Core Inflation in Hungary

The traditional CPI measure has many drawbacks, when used for very different purposes, and it is not at all surprising that a great deal of work has been devoted to its improvement. Besides seasonal adjustment, various other techniques have been developed to find the “core” inflation index. Although a generally accepted definition of core inflation does not exist, the literature converges towards identifying certain desirable properties that a “good” core index must possess. After reviewing the literature we describe how the publication of a core index fits into the monetary policy strategy of the National Bank of Hungary. Monetary policy both in the form of setting the instruments and by communicating to the public is geared to arrive at a mutual understanding with the markets. By publishing a core inflation index, the NBH aims at providing the public with a price measure that can function as a co-ordination device between policy makers and market participants. As the “index number” problem is clearly connected with relative price changes, we analyze in some depth this issue, too. We argue that there have been clearly visible tendencies in relative price developments that jeopardize some of the traditional uses of inflation measures. Our results suggest that a substantial amount of noise and apparent seasonality have come about as a result of government decisions. Finally we muster some possible procedures to define core indices in Hungary, by comparing their smoothness and forecasting ability from several points of view. Our conclusion is that there is no overwhelming reason to abandon the current “exclusion” approach toward the core.Core Inflation, Price Index, Exclusion Approach

A single dose of hypnotic corrects sleep and EEG abnormalities in symptomatic Huntington's disease mice.

Sleep and electroencephalogram abnormalities are prominent early features of Huntington's disease (HD) that typically appear before the onset of characteristic motor symptoms. The changes in sleep and electroencephalogram seen in HD patients are largely recapitulated in mouse models of HD such as transgenic R6/2 lines. To test whether or not drugs with hypnotic properties can correct the sleep and electroencephalogram abnormalities seen in HD mice, we treated male wild-type (WT; N = 7) and R6/2 mice (N = 9) acutely with intraperitoneal injections of vehicle, zolpidem (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg) or amitriptyline (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg), and then monitored their sleep-wake behavior. In R6/2 mice, both zolpidem and amitriptyline suppressed the abnormally high REM sleep amount and electroencephalographic gamma (30-46 Hz) oscillations in a dose-dependent manner. Amitriptyline's effect on sleep was similar in both genotypes, whereas zolpidem showed significant genotype differences. Zolpidem exerted a strong hypnotic effect in WT mice by increasing electroencephalographic delta power, doubling the mean bout duration and the total amount of non-rapid eye movement sleep. However, no such effect was seen in R6/2 mice. Our study demonstrates that the pathophysiological changes seen in sleep and electroencephalogram are not 'hard-wired' in HD brain and can be reversed even at late stages of the disease. The diminished hypnotic effect of zolpidem suggests that the GABAergic control of sleep-wake states is impaired in HD mice. A better understanding of the neurochemical basis underlying these abnormalities should lead to more effective and rational therapies for HD.This work was supported by a grant from CHDI Foundation, Inc.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.01.02

Temporal trends of precipitation in Debrecen (Hungary) in the period 1901-2011

ABSTRACT The primary objective of the study is to follow-up the quantitative changes in precipitation between 1901 and 2011 in the city of Debrecen. This dataset of 111-year interval allows us to reveal the quantity and distribution of precipitation changes and modification as part of today's global climate change. The amount of annual precipitation in Debrecen showed a decreasing trend during the examined period but not significantly (~30 mm decrease in 100 years). It can be seen from each seasons that in winter and spring there are approximately no changes in the trend, while in summer an increase and in autumn about a same level decrease can be identified. Thereafter we determined the 80 % design storm, which is widely used in practice, based on the data measured in the last 30 years

Translation by Joseph Szanto of Kotlan, Sandor, Mocsy, Janos, and Vajda, Todor. 1929. A juhok coccidiosisa\u27nak okozo\u27i egy u\u27j faj kapcsa\u27n = [Coccidiosis of sheep in connection with a new species.] \u3ci\u3eAllatorvosi Lapok\u3c/i\u3e 52(23): 304-306

Translation number 4, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States Translation by Joseph Szanto of Kotlan, Sandor, Mocsy, Janos, and Vajda, Todor. 1929. A juhok coccidiosisa\u27nak okozo\u27i egy u\u27j faj kapcsa\u27n = [Coccidiosis of sheep in connection with a new species.] Allatorvosi Lapok 52(23): 304-306 Translation from Hungarian to English by Joseph Szanto of University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States, July 7, 1960 (4 pages

Factors associated with suboptimal adherence to hypertensive medications among Syrian refugees – cross-sectional study at the Zaatari camp, Jordan

© 2021 The Authors. Published by Dove Medical Press. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S327903Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of medication adherence and associated factors among Syrian refugees with hypertension in Jordan. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 180 randomly selected Syrian refugees diagnosed with hypertension residing in Zaatari camp, Jordan. The Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) was used to assess adherence to antihypertensive medications. Additional data were collected on sociodemographics, therapy-related factors, patients’ behaviors and knowledge of hypertension disease and therapy, and health system-related factors. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the association between adherence scores and other variables. Results: The mean (SD) of ARMS scores was 15.7 (2.9). Based on ARMS scores, 22.8% of patients were adherents and 77.2% were non-adherents. Multivariate analysis showed that newly initiated therapy (≤ 2 years) and illiteracy were both strong predictors of lower adherence with p < 0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively. Other variables that were significantly associated with lower adherence included discontinuation of antihypertensive medications due to side effects (p = 0.032), reporting irregular availability of free antihypertensive medications dispensed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (p = 0.024), and dissatisfaction with health services (p = 0.022). Conclusion: Suboptimal adherence to antihypertensive medications remains a substantial unmet need among Syrian refugees with hypertension. As illiteracy appears to have a negative impact on adherence levels, educational interventions that promote medication adherence and favorable health behaviors through auditory and visual aids are needed to better reach and engage people with limited literacy skills. Strengthening the pharmaceutical supply chain at various levels is strongly recommended to respond quickly to changes in demand and prevent an indirect negative impact on adherence levels.Published onlin