Identification and complete genome analysis of a virus variant or putative new foveavirus associated with apple green crinkle disease.

A virus identified as "apple green crinkle associated virus" (AGCaV) was isolated from Aurora Golden Gala apple showing severe symptoms of green crinkle disease. Evidence was obtained of a potential causal relationship to the disease. The viral genome consists of 9266 nucleotides, excluding the poly(A) tail at the 3'-terminus.

A versatile method to design stem-loop primer-based quantitative PCR assays for detecting small regulatory RNA molecules.

Short regulatory RNA-s have been identified as key regulators of gene expression in eukaryotes. They have been involved in the regulation of both physiological and pathological processes such as embryonal development, immunoregulation and cancer. One of their relevant characteristics is their high stability, which makes them excellent candidates for use as biomarkers.

The impact of foreshortening on regional strain--a comparison of regional strain evaluation between speckle tracking and tissue velocity imaging.

Purpose: The conventional parameter of systolic function is global left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), but this parameter will be replaced by global strain because it seems to be more robust. However, regional strain differences can have a significant impact on global strain. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of non-standardized scanning on regional strain values determined by 2D speckle tracking and tissue velocity imaging (TVI).

[Citogenetic and molecular genetic studies in infertility in eastern Hungary].

Introduction: In developed countries 10-15% of the couples are affected by infertility. In half of them genetic factors can be identified.

Aims: We studied genetic alterations in infertility in Hungarian patients.

Ragweed pollen extract intensifies lipopolysaccharide-induced priming of NLRP3 inflammasome in human macrophages.

Ragweed pollen extract (RWE) possesses intrinsic NADPH oxidase activity that induces oxidative stress by initiating the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ROS are important contributors to the manifestation of allergic inflammation; furthermore, concomitant exposure to an allergen and an endotoxin trigger a stronger inflammatory response. One of the main pro-inflammatory cytokines produced in inflammatory responses is interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and its production is associated with caspase-1-containing inflammasome complexes.

Molecular Analysis of a Plum pox virus W Isolate in Plum Germplasm Hand Carried into the USA from the Ukraine Shows a Close Relationship to a Latvian Isolate.

Four of 19 Prunus germplasm accessions hand carried from the Ukraine into the United States without authorization were found to be infected with Plum pox virus (PPV). Of the three isolates characterized, isolates UKR 44189 and UKR 44191 were confirmed to be isolates of PPV strain W, and UKR 44188 was confirmed to be an isolate of PPV strain D. UKR 44189 and UKR 44191 are very closely related to the PPV strain W isolate LV-145bt (HQ670748) from Latvia.

A review of the subfamily Acaenitinae Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) from Ukrainian Carpathians.

Ichneumonid wasps of the subfamily Acaenitinae Förster, 1869 are reviewed for the first time from the Ukrainian Carpathians. Two species, Coleocentrusexareolatus Kriechbaumer, 1894 and Coleocentrusheteropus Thomson, 1894 are new records for Ukraine. Arotesannulicornis Kriechbaumer, 1894 is considered to be a junior synonym of Arotesalbicinctus Gravenhorst, 1829 (syn.

Analysis of CPD ultraviolet lesion bypass in chicken DT40 cells: polymerase η and PCNA ubiquitylation play identical roles.

Translesion synthesis (TLS) provides a mechanism of copying damaged templates during DNA replication. This potentially mutagenic process may operate either at the replication fork or at post-replicative gaps. We used the example of T-T cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) bypass to determine the influence of polymerase recruitment via PCNA ubiquitylation versus the REV1 protein on the efficiency and mutagenic outcome of TLS.

Importance of aspartate residues in balancing the flexibility and fine-tuning the catalysis of human 3-phosphoglycerate kinase.

The exact role of the metal ion, usually Mg(2+), in the catalysis of human 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, a well-studied two-domain enzyme, has not been clarified. Here we have prepared single and double alanine mutants of the potential metal-binding residues, D374 and D218. While all mutations weaken the catalytic interactions with Mg(2+), they surprisingly strengthen binding of both MgADP and MgATP, and the effects are even more pronounced for ADP and ATP.

Selectivity of kinases on the activation of tenofovir, an anti-HIV agent.

Nucleoside analogues, used in HIV-therapy, need to be phosphorylated by cellular enzymes in order to become potential substrates for HIV reverse transcriptase. After incorporation into the viral DNA chain, because of lacking of their 3'-hydroxyl groups, they stop the elongation process and lead to the death of the virus. Phosphorylation of the HIV-drug derivative, tenofovir monophosphate was tested with the recombinant mammalian nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK), 3-phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), creatine kinase (CK) and pyruvate kinase (PK).

Distributed auditory sensory input within the mouse olfactory cortex.

The mammalian olfactory cortex is commonly considered critical for odor information processing and perception. It is becoming increasingly apparent, however, that the olfactory cortex receives input from multiple sensory channels. Previous work from our group demonstrated the presence of auditory sensory convergence within one olfactory cortical structure, the olfactory tubercle (OT).

Retrospective study of cattle poisonings in California: recognition, diagnosis, and treatment.

In this retrospective study all suspect bovine intoxications submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2011 were reviewed. A total of 1199 cases were submitted, but a diagnosis of intoxication was only established in 13.5% of cases.

Correlation study between sperm concentration, hyaluronic acid-binding capacity and sperm aneuploidy in Hungarian patients.

Infertile men with low sperm concentration and/or less motile spermatozoa have an increased risk of producing aneuploid spermatozoa. Selecting spermatozoa by hyaluronic acid (HA) binding may reduce genetic risks such as chromosomal rearrangements and numerical aberrations. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) has been used to evaluate the presence of aneuploidies.

Evaluation of sexuality, health-related quality-of-life and depression in advanced cancer patients: a prospective study in a Phase I clinical trial unit of predominantly targeted anticancer drugs.

Background: The advent of molecular targeted agents (MTA) has opened a new era of therapy in oncology. However, some of the toxicities and side-effects of these new drugs are not explored as is the case with the potential impact of MTA on sexuality. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL), depression and sexual function in advanced cancer patients treated in a Phase I drug unit evaluating MTA.

Advantages and limitations of different p62-based assays for estimating autophagic activity in Drosophila.

Levels of the selective autophagy substrate p62 have been established in recent years as a specific readout for basal autophagic activity. Here we compared different experimental approaches for using this assay in Drosophila larvae. Similar to the more commonly used western blots, quantifying p62 dots in immunostained fat body cells of L3 stage larvae detected a strong accumulation of endogenous p62 aggregates in null mutants for Atg genes and S6K.

[Focus on targeting the Ras-MAPK pathway: the Mek inhibitors].

The Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk pathway is a key component of tumor progression and modulates proliferation, survival, differentiation and angiogenesis. Hyperactivation of this pathway is highly implicated in tumorigenesis especially by gain of function mutation of Kras or Braf. Mek position at the end of the pathway seems to be a promising new therapeutic target in the Kras or Braf mutated cancers.

Characteristics of nosocomial bloodstream infections at a Hungarian cardiac surgery centre.

Nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI) is a common finding in cardiac surgery intensive care units and is associated with excess mortality and hospital costs. Additional data are needed about incidence, characteristics, predictors, associated microorganisms of nosocomial BSI in cardiac surgical patients in order to refine measures to prevent nosocomial infections and to improve recovery outcomes in this patient population. The 3912 cardio-thoracic surgery patients from all age groups were admitted to the study at the Gottsegen György Hungarian Institute of Cardiology between January 1999 and December 2000.

PACAP immunoreactivity in human malignant tumor samples and cardiac diseases.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a pleiotropic and multifunctional neuropeptide having important roles in various physiological processes. Recent trends in PACAP research point to the clinical introduction of PACAP or its analogs/fragments possibly in the near future. Recently, we have shown the presence of PACAP in human plasma, milk, placenta, and follicular fluid samples.

Effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide on human sperm motility.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), a neuropeptide with diverse effects, was originally isolated as a hypothalamo-hypophyseal peptide. Subsequent studies showed highest levels of PACAP in the testis after the brain, suggesting that it influences the development and functioning of spermatozoa. Indeed, it has been proven that PACAP has an effect on spermatogenesis, both locally and via influencing the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadal axis.

Loss of the starvation-induced gene Rack1 leads to glycogen deficiency and impaired autophagic responses in Drosophila.

Autophagy delivers cytoplasmic material for lysosomal degradation in eukaryotic cells. Starvation induces high levels of autophagy to promote survival in the lack of nutrients. We compared genome-wide transcriptional profiles of fed and starved control, autophagy-deficient Atg7 and Atg1 null mutant Drosophila larvae to search for novel regulators of autophagy.

The role of pacing-induced dyssynchrony in left ventricular remodeling associated with long-term right ventricular pacing for atrioventricular block.

Aims: Patients with atrioventricular (AV) block can develop left ventricular (LV) dysfunction with long-term right ventricular pacing (RVP). We investigated the role of RVP-induced LV dyssynchrony in this adverse remodeling.

Methods And Results: Nineteen patients with normal LV function undergoing pacemaker implantation for AV block were included.

Meiotic segregation study of a novel t(3;6)(q21;q23) in an infertile man using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Male carriers with balanced reciprocal translocations can produce a variable proportion of unbalanced gametes resulting in reproductive failures. The presence of a structural rearrangement may induce an interchromosomal effect. This is characterized by abnormal bivalents not involved in the reorganization thereby yielding non-disjunction, which would present as aneuploid spermatozoa for these chromosomes.

[Allopurinol-induced hypersensitivity syndrome].

Unlabelled: Allopurinol is an effective urate lowering drug, which is usually well-tolerated with no adverse effects in most cases, but about 2% of the treated patients develop a skin rash, and patients may experience severe allopurinol-induced hypersensitivity syndrome.

Aims: The aim of the authors was to summarize and present the clinical manifestations of allopurinol-induced hypersensitivity in patients treated at the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged in order to identify potential associations with this syndrome.

Methods: Retrospective review of all patients who were referred to the department with allopurinol-induced hypersensitivity syndrome in the last four years.