Esélyegyenlőség - érték vagy illúzió? - Diszkrimináció a munkahelyen

A tanulmány célja a diszkrimináció, ezen belül is a munkahelyi diszkrimináció vizsgálata. A témakör elméleti hátterének rövid bemutatása után egy vállalati példa szolgáltatja az alapot a valóságos történések megítélésére. A szerzők tanulmányukban felvázolták a hátrányos munkahelyi megkülönböztetés megnyilvánulásainak negatív hatásait a munkatársak viselkedésére, munkahelyi teljesítményére, egyúttal a vállalati sikerre. Az elméleti alapok bemutatása után egy kiválasztott vállalat teljes munkatársi állományát kérdezték meg kérdőív segítségével arról, hogy ők maguk hogyan érzékelik a hátrányos megkülönböztetés megnyilvánulásait, és mit tesznek vagy nem tesznek a probléma kezelése érdekében. A tanulmány a vizsgálat eredményeit összegzi

Cheap and clever – symbiosis of frugal innovation and knowledge management

To operate knowledge management system has become an accepted method and a part of everyday life in the biggest companies. The full circle exploitation of advantages and possibilities of this system does not show a hopeful picture. It is especially true when we examine relationships and constructions with other key processes in the operation of a company. Innovation belongs to above mentioned processes. Though every outsider and professional way of thinking sees clearly that knowledge is needed to innovate and knowledge is a basis of knowledge management, but the close connection of the two important processes has not been realized on behalf of success. Defectiveness is especially true in cases of the newest innovation methods. The paper shows the connection of frugal innovation and knowledge management, its theoretical and practical possibilitie

Vezető/leader versus etika avagy az etikus leaderi magatartás jellemzői

A tanulmányban bemutatott kutatás a jó vezetői tulajdonságokat keresi, összefüggésbe hozva a leaderrel szembeni elvárásokkal és az etikus vezetői viselkedéssel. A kvantitatív és kvalitatív elemeket is tartalmazó kutatás 3 nemzet vizsgálatát célozta (Magyarország, Csehország, Szlovákia). A tanulmányban bemutatott kérdőíves kutatás kérdései között a jó vezetők tulajdonságai és a leaderi jellemzők közötti különbség és az etikus vezetői viselkedéssel való kapcsolatuk kapott helyet. Az egyszerű és komplex statisztikai elemzés eredményei azt igazolták, hogy a három ország megkérdezettjeinek véleménye a legtöbb esetben szignifikáns módon különbözik a leaderrel szembeni elvárásokban, tulajdonságokban és az etikus magatartásban

Dynamic interaction of genetic risk factors and cocaine abuse in the background of Parkinsonism - a case report.

Parkinsonism is a complex multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder, in which genetic and environmental risk factors may both play a role. Among environmental risk factors cocaine was earlier ambiguously linked to Parkinsonism. Former single case reports described Parkinsonism in chronic cocaine users, but an epidemiological study did not confirm an increased risk of Parkinson's disease. Here we report a patient, who developed Parkinsonism in young age after chronic cocaine use, in whom a homozygous LRRK2 risk variant was also detected.The patient was investigated because of hand tremor, which started after a 1.5-year period of cocaine abuse. Neurological examination suggested Parkinsonism, and asymmetrical pathology was confirmed by the dopamine transporter imaging study. The genetic investigations revealed a homozygous risk allele in the LRRK2 gene. After a period of cocaine abstinence, the patient's symptoms spontaneously regressed, and the dopamine transporter imaging also returned to near-normal.This case report suggests that cocaine abuse indeed might be linked to secondary Parkinsonism and serves as an example of a potential gene-environmental interaction between the detected LRRK2 risk variant and cocaine abuse. The reversible nature of the DaTscan pathology is a unique feature of this case, and needs further evaluation, whether this is incidental or can be a feature of cocaine related Parkinsonism

Effect of a multivitamin preparation supplemented with phytosterol on serum lipids and infarct size in rats fed with normal and high cholesterol diet

BACKGROUND: Although complex multivitamin products are widely used as dietary supplements to maintain health or as special medical food in certain diseases, the effects of these products were not investigated in hyperlipidemia which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, here we investigated if a preparation developed for human use containing different vitamins, minerals and trace elements enriched with phytosterol (VMTP) affects the severity of experimental hyperlipidemia as well as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were fed a normal or cholesterol-enriched (2% cholesterol + 0.25% cholate) diet for 12 weeks to induce hyperlipidemia. From week 8, rats in both groups were fed with a VMTP preparation or placebo for 4 weeks. Serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels were measured at week 0, 8 and 12. At week 12, hearts were isolated, perfused according to Langendorff and subjected to a 30-min coronary occlusion followed by 120 min reperfusion to measure infarct size. RESULTS: At week 8, cholesterol-fed rats showed significantly higher serum cholesterol level as compared to normal animals, however, serum triglyceride level did not change. VMTP treatment significantly decreased serum cholesterol level in the hyperlipidemic group by week 12 without affecting triglyceride levels. However, VMTP did not show beneficial effect on infarct size. The inflammatory marker hs-CRP and the antioxidant uric acid were also not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first demonstration that treatment of hyperlipidemic subjects with a VMTP preparation reduces serum cholesterol, the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, it does not provide cardioprotection

Nitrát tolerancia a szívizomban = Nitrate tolerance in the myocardium

Nagy dózisú nitroglicerin ismételt alkalmazásával vaszkuláris nitrát toleranciát váltottunk ki kísérleti állatokban. Kimutattuk hogy vaszkuláris nitrát toleranciában a szív és az aorta génexpressziós profilja eltérően változik. A szívizom génexpressziós változását egyéb szisztémás metabolikus állapotokban (metabolikus szindróma) is leírtuk. Kimutattuk, hogy az iszkémiás posztkondícionálás infarktus méretet csökkentő hatása jelentősen mérséklődik vaszkuláris nitrát tolerancia fennállása esetén. Továbbá azt tapasztaltuk, hogy ez a jelenség független a túlélő kinázok aktiválódásától. Kísérletes urémiában viszont a prekondícionálás kardioprotektív hatása megtartott marad. Izolált perfundált szívekben kimutattuk, hogy mind a koronária lekötés előtt, mind pedig a reperfúzió előtt megkezdett nitroglicerin perfúzió csökkenti a kialakuló infarktus méretét. Azonban a nitroglicerinnek ez a kardioprotektív hatása vaszkuláris nitrát tolerancia fennállása esetén nem volt megfigyelhető. Igazoltuk, hogy a NO-donor SNAP védi a szimulált iszkémia/reoxigenizációnak kitett primer szívizomsejt tenyészeteket a sejtelhalástól, valószínűleg részben a cGMP-PKG jelátviteli útvonal aktiválása révén. Továbbá kimutattuk, hogy a reperfúzió kezdetén alkalmazott szakaszos nagyfrekvenciás ingerléssel is kiváltható posztkondícionáló hatás a szívben. | We have induced vascular nitrate tolerance in rats by repeated administration of high dose nitroglycerin. We have found that the gene expression profile of the heart and the aorta was differentially altered in response to the development of vascular nitrate tolerance. Alterations in cardiac gene expression were shown in other systemic metabolic conditions (i.e. metabolic syndrome) as well. We have shown that the infarct size limiting effect of ischemic postconditioning is attenuated in the state of vascular nitrate tolerance. Moreover, we have found that this phenomenon is independent of survival kinase activation. Experimental uremia. however, did not lead to the loss of ischemic preconditioning. We have demonstrated in ex vivo hearts that nitroglycerin perfusion decreased infarct size when started before coronary occlusion and also when only started before reperfusion. This cardioprotective effect of nitroglycerin was diminished in the state of vascular nitrate tolerance. We have shown that the NO-donor molecule SNAP is able to protect primary cardiomyocyte cultures against simulated ischemia/reperfusion at least in part via activation of cGMP-PKG signaling. We have found that a postconditioning effect can be induced by applying short periods of ventricular overdrive pacing at the onset of reperfusion

MicroRNAs associated with ischemia/reperfusion injury and cardioprotection by ischemic pre- and postconditioning: ProtectomiRs

We aimed to characterize early changes in microRNA expression in acute cardioprotection by ischemic pre- and postconditioning in rat hearts. Hearts isolated from male Wistar rats were subjected to i) time-matched non-ischemic perfusion, ii) ischemia/reperfusion (30 min coronary occlusion and 120 min reperfusion), iii) preconditioning (3x5 min coronary occlusion) followed by ischemia/reperfusion, or iv) ischemia/reperfusion with postconditioning (6x10s global ischemia/reperfusion at the onset of reperfusion, respectively. Infarct size was significantly reduced by both interventions. Out of 350 different microRNAs assessed by microarray analysis, 147-160 showed detectable expression levels. As compared to microRNA alterations induced by ischemia/reperfusion vs. time-matched non-ischemic controls, 5 microRNAs were significantly affected by both pre- and postconditioning (microRNA-125b*, 139-3p, 320, 532-3p, 188), 4 microRNAs by preconditioning (microRNA-487b, 139-5p, 192, 212), and 9 by postconditioning (microRNA-1, let-7i, let-7e, let7b, 181a, 208, 328, 335, 503), respectively. Expression of randomly selected microRNAs was validated by QRT-PCR. By a systematic comparison of the direction of microRNA expression changes in all groups, we identified microRNAs, specific mimics or antagomiRs of which may have pre- and postconditioning-like cardioprotective effect (protectomiRs). Transfection of selected protectomiRs (mimics of microRNA-139-5p, -125b*, let-7b, and inhibitor of microRNA-487b) into cardiac myocytes subjected to simulated ischemia/reperfusion showed significant cytoprotective effect. This is the first demonstration that ischemia/reperfusion-induced microRNA expression profile is significantly influenced by both pre- and postconditioning, which shows the involvement of microRNAs in cardioprotective signaling. Moreover, by analysis of microRNA expression patterns in cardioprotection by pre- and postconditioning, specific protectomiRs can be revealed as potential therapeutic tools treating ischemia/reperfusion injury

The Role of Genetic Testing in the Clinical Practice and Research of Early-Onset Parkinsonian Disorders in a Hungarian Cohort: Increasing Challenge in Genetic Counselling, Improving Chances in Stratification for Clinical Trials

The genetic analysis of early-onset Parkinsonian disorder (EOPD) is part of the clinical diagnostics. Several genes have been implicated in the genetic background of Parkinsonism, which is clinically indistinguishable from idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. The identification of patient’s genotype could support clinical decision-making process and also track and analyse outcomes in a comprehensive fashion. The aim of our study was to analyse the genetic background of EOPD in a Hungarian cohort and to evaluate the clinical usefulness of different genetic investigations. The age of onset was between 25 and 50 years. To identify genetic alterations, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (n = 142), Sanger sequencing of the most common PD-associated genes (n = 142), and next-generation sequencing (n = 54) of 127 genes which were previously associated to neurodegenerative disorders were carried out. The genetic analysis identified several heterozygous damaging substitutions in PD-associated genes (C19orf12, DNAJC6, DNAJC13, EIF4G1, LRRK2, PRKN, PINK1, PLA2G6, SYNJ1). CNVs in PRKN and SNCA genes were found in five patients. In our cohort, nine previously published genetic risk factors were detected in three genes (GBA, LRRK2, and PINK1). In nine cases, two or three coexisting pathogenic mutations and risk variants were identified. Advances of sequencing technologies make it possible to aid diagnostics of PD by widening the scope of analysis to genes which were previously linked to other neurodegenerative disorders. Our data suggested that rare damaging variants are enriched versus neutral variants, among PD patients in the Hungarian population, which raise the possibility of an oligogenic effect. Heterozygous mutations of multiple recessive genes involved in the same pathway may perturb the molecular process linked to PD pathogenesis. Comprehensive genetic assessment of individual patients can rarely reveal monogenic cause in EOPD, although it may identify the involvement of multiple PD-associated genes in the background of the disease and may facilitate the better understanding of clinically distinct phenocopies. Due to the genetic complexity of the disease, genetic counselling and management is getting more challenging. Clinical geneticist should be prepared for counselling of patients with coexisting disease-causing mutations and susceptibility factors. At the same time, genomic-based stratification has increasing importance in future clinical trials