Evaluating Maize Hybrids for Yield, Stress Tolerance, and Carotenoid Content: Insights into Breeding for Climate Resilience.

To ensure food and feed security, modern maize hybrids must not only perform well under changing climate conditions but also consistently achieve higher and stable yields, exhibit maximum tolerance to stress factors, and produce high quality grains. In a study conducted in 2022 and 2023, 50 maize hybrids were developed from crosses of five elite (highly productive) inbred lines and ten lines possessing favorable genes for carotenoid content. These hybrids were tested under particularly unfavorable conditions for maize cultivation.

Influence of Changing Weather on Old and New Maize Hybrids: A Case Study in Romania.

Maize is affected by drought and heat, abiotic stress factors that have been encountered more often in recent years in various parts of Europe. In the area of Turda, Romania, extreme temperatures and heat waves combined with an uneven distribution of precipitation have been recorded that had an unfavorable influence on the maize crop. In this study, the ASI (anthesis-to-silking interval), yield, and stability of 35 old and new maize hybrids created at the Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda were studied under drought and heat conditions.

Modern Breeding Strategies and Tools for Durable Late Blight Resistance in Potato.

Cultivated potato () is a major crop worldwide. It occupies the second place after cereals (corn, rice, and wheat). This important crop is threatened by the Oomycete , the agent of late blight disease.

Review on flower-visiting behaviour of orthopterans and setting priorities for further studies.

The importance of pollination and pollinators is easy to underestimate and impossible to overstate, since its importance goes far beyond the crop production and even the maintenance of plant populations. Most terrestrial ecosystems ultimately depend on the plant-pollinator interactions formed by million years coevolution. This is essential for both the daily functioning of the ecosystems and the long-term development of biodiversity.

Setting priorities and evaluation of habitats for the conservation of orthopterans: case study in the Aggtelek National Park (N Hungary).

The biodiversity conservation needs recent high-quality data and efficient methods for prioritizing species and sites for conservation. Here we prioritized Orthoptera habitats of the Aggtelek National Park, based on revised and actualized distribution data of 69 Orthoptera species living at 98 sites. The simple ranking and complementary areas methods were used with species richness (S), rarity weighted species richness (SR), and number of rare species (SQ).

Nontarget catches of traps with chemical lures may refer to the flower-visitation, probable pollination, and feeding of bush crickets (Ensifera: Tettigoniidae).

The diurnal bees, lepidopterans, and other pollinators are among the most studied flower-visiting insect taxa. They mostly play distinct functions in temperate grasslands and ecotones of grassland-forest mosaics (such as in forest steppes). Although orthopterans are widely distributed in these habitats, however, their flower visitation is nearly unknown, especially in the temperate zone.

[Recent aspects of pharmaceutical and endoscopic treatment of acute gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding].

Acute gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding is a life-threatening condition. Management of the acute gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding requires the cooperation of different specialists. The complex management program includes the immediate control of the hemodynamic status, transfusion and gastric acid inhibition therapy, endoscopic diagnosis, treatment and occasionally the invasive radiological interventions and surgery.

[Infection risk related to gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic].

Introduction: COVID–19 significantly affects endoscopic labs’ workflow. Endoscopic examinations are considered high-risk for virus transmission. Objectives: To determine impact of COVID–19 pandemic on Hungarian endoscopic labs’ workflow and on infection risk of endoscopic staff.

The Effects of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on the Flow in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients-Geometry in Focus.

Evaluation of the effect of three dimensional (3D) coronary plaque characteristics derived from two dimensional (2D) invasive angiography images (ICA) on coronary flow determined by TIMI frame count (TFC) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been thoroughly investigated. A total of 71 patients with STEMI, and 73 with NSTEMI were enrolled after primary angioplasty. Pre- and post-PCI TFCs were obtained.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Colorectal Polyp Histology Prediction by Using Narrow-Band Image-Magnifying Colonoscopy.

Background/aims: We have been developing artificial intelligence based polyp histology prediction (AIPHP) method to classify Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) magnifying colonoscopy images to predict the hyperplastic or neoplastic histology of polyps. Our aim was to analyze the accuracy of AIPHP and narrow-band imaging international colorectal endoscopic (NICE) classification based histology predictions and also to compare the results of the two methods.

Methods: We studied 373 colorectal polyp samples taken by polypectomy from 279 patients.

Systemic inflammation induced the delayed reduction of excitatory synapses in the CA3 during ageing.

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) represents diverse cerebral dysfunctions in response to pathogen-induced systemic inflammation. Peripheral exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the gram-negative bacterial cell wall, has been extensively used to model systemic inflammation. Our previous studies suggested that LPS led to hippocampal neuron death and synaptic destruction in vivo.

Incidence, Predictive Factors, Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Non-variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding - A Prospective Population-based Study from Hungary.

Background And Aims: Acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence, management, risk factors and outcomes of acute non-variceal UGIB in a population-based study from Hungary.

Methods: The present prospective one-year study involved six major community hospitals in Western Hungary covering a population of 1,263,365 persons between January 1 and December 31, 2016.

[Outcomes of variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A prospective, multicenter, population-based study from West Hungary].

Unlabelled: Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: Az akut varixeredetű gastrointestinalis vérzés napjainkban is jelentős morbiditással és mortalitással jár. Célkitűzés: Célunk az akut varixeredetű felső gastrointestinalis vérzések incidenciájának, ellátási folyamatainak és kimeneteli tényezőinek átfogó felmérése volt.

Predictors of Hospital Mortality in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock.

As demonstrated by earlier studies, pre-hospital triage with trans-telephonic electrocardiogram (TTECG) and direct referral for catheter therapy shows great value in the management of out-of-hospital chest pain emergencies. It does not only improve in-hospital mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, but it has also been identified as an independent predictor of higher in-hospital survival rate. Since TTECG-facilitated triage shortens both transport time and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-related procedural time intervals, it was hypothesized that even high-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and cardiogenic shock (CS) might also benefit from TTECG-based triage.

Level of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 activity is highly elevated in old-aged patients with aortic stenosis: implications for ACE2 as a biomarker for the severity of COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a high mortality in elderly patients with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases. The cellular receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), thereby implicating a link between cardiovascular diseases and SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility. Aortic stenosis (AS) represents a chronic inflammatory state with severe cardiovascular complications in the elderly, a prime condition for COVID-19 mortality.

The role of renin-angiotensin system activated phagocytes in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection.

Objective: Management of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 challenges both scientists and physicians to rapidly develop, and urgently assess, effective diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions. The initial presentation of the disease in symptomatic patients is invariably respiratory, with dry cough being the main symptom, but an increasing number of reports reveal multiple-organ involvement. The aim of this review is to summarize the potential role of the renin-angiotensin system activated phagocytes in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease.

Endoscopic treatment of gastric antral vascular ectasia in real-life settings: Argon plasma coagulation or endoscopic band ligation?

Objective: The efficacy of argon plasma coagulation (APC) on gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) may be impaired over time and depends greatly on the application settings. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) may be an alternative, but study on its efficacy is limited. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy of APC and EBL in treating GAVE.

Efficacy and safety of prolonged release budesonide granules in mesalazine-refractory ulcerative colitis: A multi-centre Phase IIa study (TOPICAL-1).

Background: In patients with mesalazine-refractory ulcerative colitis, systemic corticosteroids are the treatment of choice.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of prolonged release budesonide granules for the induction of remission in patients with mesalazine-refractory ulcerative colitis.

Methods: Patients with mesalazine-refractory ulcerative colitis discontinued mesalazine at baseline and received 9 mg prolonged release budesonide granules daily for 8 weeks in this open-label, phase IIa study, followed by a 2-week follow-up phase wherein patients continued treatment on alternate days (EudraCT number 2014-005635-14; ClinicalTrials.

Modulation of feeding behavior and metabolism by dynorphin.

The neuronal regulation of metabolic and behavioral responses to different diets and feeding regimens is an important research area. Herein, we investigated if the opioid peptide dynorphin modulates feeding behavior and metabolism. Mice lacking dynorphin peptides (KO) were exposed to either a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for a period of 12 weeks.

A comprehensive and comparative phenotypic analysis of the collaborative founder strains identifies new and known phenotypes.

The collaborative cross (CC) is a large panel of mouse-inbred lines derived from eight founder strains (NOD/ShiLtJ, NZO/HILtJ, A/J, C57BL/6J, 129S1/SvImJ, CAST/EiJ, PWK/PhJ, and WSB/EiJ). Here, we performed a comprehensive and comparative phenotyping screening to identify phenotypic differences and similarities between the eight founder strains. In total, more than 300 parameters including allergy, behavior, cardiovascular, clinical blood chemistry, dysmorphology, bone and cartilage, energy metabolism, eye and vision, immunology, lung function, neurology, nociception, and pathology were analyzed; in most traits from sixteen females and sixteen males.

Soluble Aβ oligomers and protofibrils induce NLRP3 inflammasome activation in microglia.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder causing memory loss, language problems and behavioural disturbances. AD is associated with the accumulation of fibrillar amyloid-β (Aβ) and the formation of neurofibrillary tau tangles. Fibrillar Aβ itself represents a danger-associated molecular pattern, which is recognized by specific microglial receptors.

Low catalytic activity is insufficient to induce disease pathology in triosephosphate isomerase deficiency.

Triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) deficiency is a fatal genetic disorder characterized by hemolytic anemia and neurological dysfunction. Although the enzyme defect in TPI was discovered in the 1960s, the exact etiology of the disease is still debated. Some aspects indicate the disease could be caused by insufficient enzyme activity, whereas other observations indicate it could be a protein misfolding disease with tissue-specific differences in TPI activity.

Partial sciatic nerve ligation leads to an upregulation of Ni-resistant T-type Ca currents in capsaicin-responsive nociceptive dorsal root ganglion neurons.

Background: Neuropathic pain resulting from peripheral nerve lesions is a common medical condition, but current analgesics are often insufficient. The identification of key molecules involved in pathological pain processing is a prerequisite for the development of new analgesic drugs. Hyperexcitability of nociceptive DRG-neurons due to regulation of voltage-gated ion-channels is generally assumed to contribute strongly to neuropathic pain.

A mouse model for intellectual disability caused by mutations in the X-linked 2'‑O‑methyltransferase Ftsj1 gene.

Mutations in the X chromosomal tRNA 2'‑O‑methyltransferase FTSJ1 cause intellectual disability (ID). Although the gene is ubiquitously expressed affected individuals present no consistent clinical features beyond ID. In order to study the pathological mechanism involved in the aetiology of FTSJ1 deficiency-related cognitive impairment, we generated and characterized an Ftsj1 deficient mouse line based on the gene trapped stem cell line RRD143.