Network attributes' evaluation by stakeholder groups concerned to the Agri-food sector in Hungary

As a consortium partner, University of Debrecen, Hungary, has been conducting a European four-year project with the acronym NetGrow financed within the Framework Program 7 under the auspices of the EU focusing on network behaviour of food SMEs and the performance of networks. The overall objective is to reveal more evidences and facts on innovation, learning, and networking in the food sector of the EU. Whithin the scope of the project, special attention was paid to reveal how network attributes were evaluated by the main four stakeholder groups of the food sector such as food SMEs, public bodies, research institutions, and network management organisations. The respondents differ in ranking the attributes, while but we got a clear order of attributes, of which the top five can be explicitly selected. Taking the next three ranks into consideration, the attributes behind them have clear meanings and they seem to be complementary for the top five. The stakeholder groups were significantly differ in scoring openmindedness and external relations, the importance of network rendered services, and the goals relevance of the network to the firms

Kvantitatív szerkezet-hatás összefüggések keresése új kemometriai módszerekkel = Novel Chemometric Methods for Quantitative Structure-activity Relationships

Kemometriai módszerek alkalmazásával folyadékkromatográfiás oszlopokat teszteltünk minél eltérőbb tulajdonságú kromatográfiás (HPLC) rendszerek kiválogatása céljából, összehasonlítottuk az eddigi módszereket, és új mértékegységet definiáltunk, az ún. ortogonalitási arányt. QSRR modelleket épitettünk változószelektálási és előrejelzési céllal, alkoholok és heterociklusos vegyületek példáján. Sem a peremregresszió, sem a PLS nem képes a Kováts indexek előrejelzését megfelelően megoldani. Predikciós modelljeink identifikálásra használhatók. Gázkromatográfiás retenciós adatokból termodinamikai mennyiségeket számítottunk. Inverz gázkromatográfiás adatok elemzésével polimerek, tömőanyagok osztályozásást sikerült megoldani. Továbbfejlesztettük, általánosítottuk a pár-korrelációs módszert (PCM), és új PCM-en alapuló módszert dolgoztunk ki osztályozásra is. Az ózon koncentráció előrejelzését is megoldottuk főkomponens regresszióval, meghatároztuk az ózon koncentrációt befolyásoló faktorok közül melyek szignifikánsak. Borok eredetvizsgálatával (technológia, bortermelő hely, szőlőfajta és termelési év szempontjából), és flavonok hatásának előrejelzésével is foglalkoztunk. Összefoglaltuk az utóbbi tíz év magyarországi szerzőhöz köthető kemometriai munkáit tudományos jelentőség, történelmi perspektíva, tudományos iskolák és alkalmazások (szofteverek) szerint. | Using advanced chemometric methods HPLC systems were tested to select diverse (so called orthogonal) chromatographic systems; compared the available methods and defined a new measure for comparison, the orthogonality ratio. QSRR models were built to recognize the features of variable selection methods and to predict gas chromatographic retention data. On the contrary to the general belief, neither the ridge regression nor PLS is able to select proper features for prediction. Our validated models are suitable for identification purposes. Thermodynamic quantities were also calculated from gas chromatographic retention data. Classifications of polymers and fillers were elaborated by analyzing inverse gas chromatographic data. The pair-correlation method (PCM) has been generalized and a novel method based on successive application of PCM was developed for classification tasks. The concentration of ozone in air was predicted using principal component regression; and the significant factors influencing O3 concentration was determined. Authenticity of wines was examined according to technology, geographic region, grape variety and year of vintage. The antioxidant effect of flavones was predicted using descriptors calculated from their molecular structure. The activity of the Hungarian chemometric community was reviewed according to scientific significance, historical perspective scientific schools (groups) and applications (software)

Measurement of color defective and normal color vision subjects´ color and luminance contrast threshold functions on CRT

To perform a more complete diagnosis on the effect of color vision deficiency on visual performance we measured luminance and color contrast threshold functions. Measurements were carried out on CRT for a range of spatial frequencies on color deficient and normal color vision individuals. Luminance and color contrast threshold is a measure of the recognition limits of low luminance and color contrast patterns. Both of them are function of the image features and spatial frequency. In our test patterns of stripes with a sinusoidal luminance profile were displayed on the monitor. The subject´s task was to detect the presence and orientation of these gratings. In the study 6 normal and 6 anomalous trichromats were measured. In the case of color contrast threshold measurement it is essential to apply colors with identical luminance sensation, otherwise the test person might be able to differentiate between the presented colors not based on hue but based on luminance. The increasing accessibility of computers and color monitors provides a platform for color vision tests based on brightness sensation correction. In our experiment we define the subject´s relative luminance sensation stimulated by the primary colors of the monitor with the method of direct heterochromatic photometry. Although, there were no significant differences in luminance contrast threshold between normal color vision and color deficient subjects, we found significant reduction in red-green color contrast threshold at all color defectives. The results prove the assumption that color deficiency has a negative effect on noticing details in color environment

Complete Genome Sequence of a Variant Pyrrhula pyrrhula polyomavirus 1 Strain Isolated from White-Headed Munia (Lonchura maja)

A novel variant of finch polyomavirus has been identified and sequenced from a diseased white-headed munia (Lonchura maja)

Association of PPAR Alpha Intron 7 G/C, PPAR Gamma 2 Pro12Ala, and C161T Polymorphisms with Serum Fetuin-A Concentrations

BACKGROUND: Both peroxisome activator proteins (PPARs) and fetuin-A play a role in lipid and glucose metabolism. AIMS: We investigated whether PPARalpha intron 7 G2468/C and PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala and PPARgamma exon 6 C161T polymorphisms are associated with serum fetuin-A concentrations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The PPARalpha intron 7 G/C polymorphism was studied in cohort 1 (79 reference individuals, 165 postinfarction patients). The two PPARgamma polymorphisms were investigated in cohort 2 (162 reference individuals, 165 postinfarction patients). Fetuin-A levels and PPAR polymorphisms were determined by radial immunodiffusion and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques. RESULTS: The C allele variant of PPARalpha intron 7 G2467C was associated with higher fetuin-A levels (p = 0.018). Postinfarction status (p = 0.001), PPARalpha intron 7 GG/GC/CC genotypes (p = 0.032), and the C allele (p = 0.021) were the strongest determinants of fetuin-A concentration in a multiple regression model. Higher fetuin-A levels were associated with the Pro variant of PPARgamma2 (p = 0.047). Postinfarction status (p = 0.041) and BMI (p < 0.001) but not PPARgamma2 Pro were the strongest determinants of fetuin-A concentrations. PPARgamma exon 6 C161T genotypes were not associated with fetuin-A levels. CONCLUSIONS: Fetuin-A was determined mainly by the PPARalpha intron 7C allele and postinfarction status in cohort 1 and the BMI and postinfarction in cohort 2. The PPARalpha intron 7C and PPARgamma2 Pro variants are associated with fetuin-A levels

Functionally Graded Al2O3–CTZ Ceramics Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

We studied the fabrication of functionally graded Al2O3–CeO2-stabilized-ZrO2 (CTZ) ceramics by spark plasma sintering. The ceramic composite exhibits a gradual change in terms of composition and porosity in the axial direction. The composition gradient was created by layering starting powders with different Al2O3 to CTZ ratios, whereas the porosity gradient was established with a large temperature difference, which was induced by an asymmetric graphite tool configuration during sintering. SEM investigations confirmed the development of a porosity gradient from the top toward the bottom side of the Al2O3–CTZ ceramic and the relative pore volume distributed in a wide range from 0.02 to 100 μm for the samples sintered in asymmetric configuration (ASY), while for the reference samples (STD), the size of pores was limited in the nanometer scale. The microhardness test exhibited a gradual change along the axis of the ASY samples, reaching 10 GPa difference between the two opposite sides of the Al2O3–CTZ ceramics without any sign of delamination or cracks between the layers. The flexural strength of the samples for both series showed an increasing tendency with higher sintering temperatures. However, the ASY samples achieved higher strength due to their lower total porosity and the newly formed elongated CeAl11O18 particles