AREA WIDE TRAFFIC DEMAND MANAGEMENT BY ROAD PRICING

Cities and governments spent a tremendous amount of money to ease traffic congestion, but the problems are yet unsolved. The difficulties are well-known: increase of costs and time spent on travelling in cities; noise nuisance, air pollution, vibration; increase of urban accident rates; deforming land use patterns. Recent research suggests to apply some form of Road Pricing as an important tool among many others to manage demand on motorized traffic. Road Pricing may be effective as it reduces costs of traffic; regulates and reduces car use in peak hours and pricing contributes to maintaining better environmental and living conditions in city centres. Road Pricing system should be included within a comprehensive Land Use and Transport Policy. Car ownership in Budapest will double to about 400 cars/l000 inhabitants within 30 years. It seems clear that some regulation and restriction on car use cannot be avoided. Simultaneous, coordinated elements of traffic demand management in Budapest may be the following: land use policy: development of public transport; area wide traffic control and route guidance systems: parking policy; other instruments and Road Pricing as a major tool to manage demand for car traffic. There are several reasonable solutions how to locate charging stations in Budapest. In the far future it seems necessary to charge drivers entering the city area within the M0 circular motorway. In the first phase outer cordon may be established in line of 'Hungarian Ringroad' after its southern end with 'Lágymányosi Bridge' across the River Danube will have been completed. On the 'Buda' side cordon can be put on the ring road (that cannot be so complete as on the 'Pest' side), and additional charging stations can be located on the Danube Bridges. This preliminary suggestion must be controlled and changed by results of precise and detailed application of traffic models, and interdisciplinary preparation

Comparison of Different Maize Hybrids Cultivated and Fermented With or Without Sorghum

In Hungary our key forage crop is silage maize, however, the joint growing of maize and sorghum is increasingly important in arid regions. The reason is, that sorghum varieties tolerate well the various ecological stresses (drought). The joint growing of maize and sorghum varieties has several advantages and disadvantageous in respect of yields, safety of production, fermentability of the crop and nutrient content of the silage. The basis of realising the complementary qualities of the two crops and of the successful joint growing and preservation is the suitable pairing of hybrid varieties

New records and present status of the invasive Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera) in Hungary

The spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) – SWD) is one of the most recently introduced invasive pests of economical importance in Europe. It has invaded many countries in Europe and North America causing significant losses in fruit production. In 2012, the species has been detected for the first time in Hungary at a highway rest area. The following year a countrywide trapping program was conducted to monitor the spreading of the species. In 2013, thirty-three highway rest areas and furthermore cherry, strawberries, raspberries, peach, grape orchards were monitored using apple vinegar bait traps. Altogether 33 individuals of SWD have been captured in 5 localities along highways in western Hungary, including the collecting site of the first detection. On the other hand the species was not found in countryside orchards. The location of the collecting sites indicates that international transport along highways plays an important role in spreading of SWD. Highway infrastructures, like selective trash bins, or buildings may serve as refugee spots for SWD. The role of vehicle transport in the spreading of SWD is also supported by the relatively high spreading rate of SWD, which was estimated around 320–390 km year-1

Endoscopy and autopsy follow-up of biodegradable Oesophageal Anastomoses in dogs

The Biofragmentable Anastomosis Ring (BAR) is a mechanical device composed of absorbable material and creates an inverting, atraumatic compressive anastomosis with no foreign material at the anastomotic site after healing. The aim of the present experimental study was to assess the safety of oesophagoscopy in early days after oesophageal anastomoses performed with the BAR and to follow-up the healing of BAR anastomoses by in vivo endoscopy and autopsy examination. Thirty mongrel dogs divided into subgroups according to the timepoints of endoscopy and autopsy (4th, 7th, 14th, 28th day) were used. There was no significant difference in the healing of anastomoses performed under or above the tracheal bifurcation. Pleural adhesions helped to cover and seal small subclinical leaks. The mortality was 13.3% (4 dogs) and the overall leakage rate 14.3%. We looked for bleeding, haematoma, erosion, ulceration and granulation tissue in the anastomosis. Due to the high mechanical strength of these anastomoses, oesophagoscopy was a safe, easy and feasible method for follow-up BAR intrathoracic anastomoses, with no significant difference between the number of lesions found with endoscopy as compared to the autopsy data. The overall sensitivity of oesophagoscopy to discover mucosal lesions was 73.1%. Endoscopy had no complications, therefore it is a useful method of follow-up and may help predict the normal or compromised healing of oesophageal anastomoses

Dental Health and Mortality in People With End-Stage Kidney Disease Treated With Hemodialysis: A Multinational Cohort Study

Background Dental disease is more extensive in adults with chronic kidney disease, but whether dental health and behaviors are associated with survival in the setting of hemodialysis is unknown. Study Design Prospective multinational cohort. Setting & Participants 4,205 adults treated with long-term hemodialysis, 2010 to 2012 (Oral Diseases in Hemodialysis [ORAL-D] Study). Predictors Dental health as assessed by a standardized dental examination using World Health Organization guidelines and personal oral care, including edentulousness; decayed, missing, and filled teeth index; teeth brushing and flossing; and dental health consultation. Outcomes All-cause and cardiovascular mortality at 12 months after dental assessment. Measurements Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models fitted with shared frailty to account for clustering of mortality risk within countries. Results During a mean follow-up of 22.1 months, 942 deaths occurred, including 477 cardiovascular deaths. Edentulousness (adjusted HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.10-1.51) and decayed, missing, or filled teeth score ≥ 14 (adjusted HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.33-2.17) were associated with early all-cause mortality, while dental flossing, using mouthwash, brushing teeth daily, spending at least 2 minutes on oral hygiene daily, changing a toothbrush at least every 3 months, and visiting a dentist within the past 6 months (adjusted HRs of 0.52 [95% CI, 0.32-0.85], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.64-0.97], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.58-0.99], 0.84 [95% CI, 0.71-0.99], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.65-0.95], and 0.79 [95% CI, 0.65-0.96], respectively) were associated with better survival. Results for cardiovascular mortality were similar. Limitations Convenience sample of clinics. Conclusions In adults treated with hemodialysis, poorer dental health was associated with early death, whereas preventive dental health practices were associated with longer survival

Continuous and discontinuous nectar secretion in some pear cultivars

Hourly nectar secretion was studied in five pear cultivars between 1997-1999. Some cultivars (e.g. ‘Csákvári téli') secreted nectar continuously during the whole day, offering both nectar and pollen for pollinating insects. Discontinuous secretion (e.g. cvs. ‘Viki', `Nyárig tartó 6/19') is less advantageous from the viewpoint of insect attraction. In some cases, however, discontinuity or continuity of nectar secretion varied even within a cultivar (e.g. 'Solymári cukor', ’Jó szürke’) in different years

Continuous and discontinuous nectar secretion in some pear cultivars

Hourly nectar secretion was studied in five pear cultivars between 1997-1999. Some cultivars (e.g. ‘Csákvári téli') secreted nectar continuously during the whole day, offering both nectar and pollen for pollinating insects. Discontinuous secretion (e.g. cvs. ‘Viki', `Nyárig tartó 6/19') is less advantageous from the viewpoint of insect attraction. In some cases, however, discontinuity or continuity of nectar secretion varied even within a cultivar (e.g. 'Solymári cukor', ’Jó szürke’) in different years

The effect of rootstock on the nectar production of apple cultivar `Idared'

Approaches based on the daily rhythm of apple flowers provide a new stage in nectar research, where the synchronous functioning of sexual organs is studied. In the flower biological studies the insect attraction of flowers was also studied. The two most important factors of insect attraction are the pollen- and nectar production of the flowers. From 1993 to 1998 we studied the food, that flower had to offer for the pollinating insects at different times of the day. Studies were carried out on 'Idared', one of the hybrids of 'Jonathan' apple cultivar. The fruit of 'Idared' is bigger than the fruit of `Jonathan'. It is bright red, transportable, has a bigger productivity and is not subject to Jonathan-spots. Concerning its inner characteristics, it is juicy, the flesh consistency is better than that of 'Jonathan', but its acid/sugar ratio is worse (Sansavini et al. 1981). &nbsp

The Leafhopper Fauna of an Apricot Orchard in Hungary

European stone fruit yellows (ESFY) is widespread in Europe. The disease, which is on the increase in Hungary, causes losses in yield, deterioration in fruit quality, decrease in the lifespan of fruit bearing trees and finally the death of the plant affected. It is most probably the leafhoppers and psyllids that play a role in the spread of the disease. In Hungary, the species composition of leafhoppers in apricot orchards had not been known before our research was carried out. In order to search for the potential vectors of the disease, research was undertaken to identify the leafhopper species present in the orchard along with their population changes. Samplings and checks were taken periodically in a pesticide-treated apricot orchard infected with ESFY in Pomáz, during the whole vegetation period of 2001. Various collecting methods were used for monitoring the species. Samples were obtained from the canopy, the undergrowth and the plants adjacent to the orchard by the means of Malaise traps, suction traps and yellow sticky boards. 3117 individuals belonging to 85 leafhopper species were collected during our samplings. A species (Edwardsiana sp.) presumably new to the fauna was also collected, although research is still underway to remove all doubts about its identification. The leafhoppers were present throughout the vegetation period. A significant increase in the number of Edwardsiana lamellaris, E. rosae and of Eupteryx calcarata was detected between the end of May and the beginning of June, whereas in the middle of August, at the end of September and in mid-October an increase in the number of Empoasca solani, E. decipiens and Zygina flammigera was observed. On the basis of the abundance of the species as well as that of the study of the canopy it can be stated that apricot trees are among the host-plants of Edwardsiana lamellaris, E. rosae and Eupteryx calcarata. Our objectives for further studies are to assess the role in ESFY transmission of the leafhopper species collected