Enrico Schifani, Antonio Alicata, Matthew M. Prebus
et al.
The mostly Holarctic genus <i>Temnothorax</i> (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) is the most diverse ant genus in temperate regions. The Mediterranean, a biodiversity hotspot of rare ant species, hosts over 150 <i>Temnothorax</i> taxa, including several short-range endemics. Over the last few years, phylogenomic reconstructions and integrative taxonomy have significantly improved the understanding of global <i>Temnothorax</i> diversity, but much taxonomic work is still needed in the Mediterranean region. Here, we present the integrative description of a new species of the genus, discovered in the central Mediterranean island of Sicily: <i>Temnothorax siculus</i> sp. n. is defined and compared to congeneric species integrating morphometrics and phylogenomics. It is a ground-nesting, lowland species, of which workers were regularly observed foraging on bushes and small trees. In the global phylogeny, covering all the main lineages of the region, it belongs to the Palearctic clade and is related to the <i>tuberum</i> and <i>unifasciatus</i> complexes. Morphological separation from other Sicilian <i>Temnothorax</i> species can generally be achieved on qualitative characters, but we also provide morphometric discriminant functions to separate it from <i>T. apenninicus</i> and especially <i>T. unifasciatus</i>. <i>Temnothorax siculus</i> has been rarely collected but appears to be widespread in Sicily, and may occur in neighboring regions.
Strong approximation, introduced by Strassen (1964), is one of the most powerful methods to prove limit theorems in probability and statistics. In this paper we use strong approximation of lacunary series with conditionally independent sequences to prove uniform and permutation-invariant limit theorems for such series.
The concept of body is closely related to that of illness and its various manifestations, a connection that can be observed from a range of perspectives. The present study draws upon the metaphors of the body found in selected German medical textbooks and aims to compare the image of the healthy and the pathological body in the tradition of German-language medical education with how it is presented in selected writings by the author who perhaps most emblematically – within the sphere of German literature – provided examples of the theme in question: Franz Kafka. The politicisation of the body, its presentation as a space of definition, refusal, violation, renegotiation of the norm (which recalls Foucault’s thought) and the subsequent definition and manifestation of the pathological are indeed revealed in Franz Kafka’s work in an exemplary manner. The study will explore the differences and points of contact between the medical notion of the body and its artistic-literary representation, starting from the metaphor of illness as a violation of the norm, as found in medical textbooks and selected novels. The analysis thus offers a contribution to the definition of the body in both the medical and literary spheres, and, more generally, to the description of the different manifestations, functions and relationships of the use of metaphor for the same concept in different fields of knowledge.
History of Austria. Liechtenstein. Hungary. Czechoslovakia
On October 3–18, 1908, the capital of the largest province of Austria-Hungary, Lemberg (Lwów in Polish, Lviv in Ukrainian), hosted an international jubilee cook’s and consumer exhibition. According to the organizers, the event was intended to demonstrate local gastronomic and consumer culture. The best chefs, restaurant owners, and hospitality industry representatives attended the exhibition. The event was very popular among numerous visitors. The exhibition was intended to introduce the public to the best chefs and producers of Galician cuisine to place them in the gastronomic context of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. An indirect result was an increase in the number of Polish and Ukrainian cookbooks published in the following decades and the creation of culinary training courses. Unfortunately, this was the last event in this part of Eastern Europe, and its history and results were unknown to researchers for many years.
History (General) and history of Europe, Fine Arts
Veronika Paksi, Katalin Tardos, Judit Takács
et al.
The European Union aims to foster research excellence, among others, by increasing gender equality (GE) in the European research area. The mandatory introduction of gender equality plans (GEP) mobilised universities to assess, target, and monitor GE in different fields of science. A wide range of barriers have been explored in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), characterised by the low participation of women. However, significant obstacles to GE can emerge in relatively more gender‐balanced and, therefore, rarely studied fields, such as agriculture and life sciences (ALS). Experiences can differ in Central and Eastern European countries, characterised by rather traditional gender and family norms. This study explores different stakeholders’ perceptions of the main barriers of GE, with particular attention to ALS. We conducted nine focus groups (82 participants in total) with middle management, academic staff, and students from Czech, Hungarian, and Slovenian universities, aiming to contribute to the revision of their first GEP. Discussions were centred on recruitment, leadership positions, work–life balance, gender‐based violence, sexual harassment, organisational culture, integrating the gender dimension into research and teaching, and institutionalisation of GEPs. Findings revealed that women in ALS face partly similar gender‐based obstacles to their counterparts in less gender‐balanced fields—perceptions of education and career choices, work–life imbalance, and exclusion by recruitment and promotion practices—and also additional ALS‐related challenges of laboratory and fieldwork. Findings highlight the need for institutions to carefully address these areas in their state‐of‐the‐art assessments and develop sector‐specific, tailor‐made GEPs.
<p><em><span lang="EN-PH">International humanitarian law is divided into two main "branches": jus in bello and jus ad bellum. The jus ad bellum is the branch of international humanitarian law that deals with the rules that govern the justification of the use of force by states, for example, the question of whether a war is defensible; historically, it was the analysis that formed the basis of the just war theory. Today, Article 51 of the UN Charter reflects a recognized jus ad bellum justification in the form of self-defense; other similar justifications, such as those based on the responsibility to protect and humanitarian intervention, have still not acquired the status of customary international law. The traditional distinction between the two bodies of international humanitarian law entails that warfare, governed by the principles of military necessity, is a distinction between proportionality and humanity (jus in bello), separated from reasons and legal justification (jus ad bellum). However, such distinctions between these two categories of law in armed conflict are increasingly arbitrary and outdated, and the justification of the use of drones in humanitarian law terms further complicates the situation</span></em></p>
The paper presents the photomechanical effect generated in new azo side-chain polyimides synthesized through a post-functionalization strategy involving the Mitsunobu reaction. Prepared azo polyimide foils were irradiated by a 405 nm diode-laser beam (intensity, I = 100 mW/cm2; polarization, Eǀǀx) for the generation of the photomechanical effect. Despite the low content of azo chromophore (substitution of the hydroxyl group was in the range of 7–35%) and thick cantilevers (thickness ~35 μm), bending angles were in the range of 30–40°. Thermal unbending was not observed for 12 months after turning off the excitation light. Our investigation showed that, despite the low content of azo chromophore, it is possible to achieve photodeformation under polarized light. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of the photomechanical response of azo pyridine polymers.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, Chemical technology
The rapid growth of negative consequences from climate changes provokes divergent effects in all economic sectors. The experts proved that a core catalyst which bootstrapped the climate changes was greenhouse gas emission. This has led to a range of social, economic, and ecological issues. Such issues could be solved by extending innovation and information technology. This paper aimed to check the hypothesis that innovation and information technology allowed for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The author used such methodology as OLS, fully modified OLS (FMOLS), dynamic OLS (DMOLS), Dicky-Fuller and Phillips-Perron tests. The research is informed by the report of the World Economic Forum, World Data Bank, Eurostat for the Visegrád countries (Hungary, Poland, Check Republic, Slovakia) for the period of 2000–2019. The findings were confirmed in models without control variables, and an increase of 1% of patents led to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 0.28% for Poland, 0.28% for Hungary, 0.38% for the Slovak Republic and 0.46% for the Czech Republic. At the same time, for the models with control variables, only Hungary experienced a statistically significant impact. There, an increase of patents by 1% led to reduction of GHG emissions by 0.22%. The variable R&D expenditure was statistically significant for all countries and all types of models (with and without control variables). The increase of R&D expenditure provoked a decline of GHG emissions by 0.29% (without control variables) and 0.11% (with control variables) for Poland, by 0.26% (without control variables) and 0.41% (with control variables) for Hungary, by 0.3% (without control variables) and 0.23% (with control variables) for the Slovak Republic and by 0.54% (without control variables) and 0.38% (with control variables) for the Czech Republic.
The frequency of infection with the six classified major genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was investigated in 447 infected volunteer blood donors from the following nine countries: Scotland, Finland, The Netherlands, Hungary, Australia, Egypt, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Viral sequences in plasma from blood donors infected with HCV were amplified in the 5'-noncoding region and were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Electrophoresis of DNA fragments produced by cleavage with HaeIII-RsaI and ScrFI-HinfI allowed HCV types 1 (or 5), 2, 3, 4, and 6 to be identified. Further analysis with MvaI-HinfI allowed sequences of the type 5 genotype to be distinguished from sequences of the type 1 genotype. Types 1, 2, and 3 accounted for almost all infections in donors from Scotland, Finland, The Netherlands, and Australia. Types 2 and 3 were not found in the eastern European country (Hungary), where all but one of the donors were infected with type 1. Donors from Japan and Taiwan were infected only with type 1 or 2, while types 1, 2, and 6 were found in those from Hong Kong. HCV infection among Egyptians was almost always by type 4. Donors infected with HCV type 1 showed broad serological reactivity with all four antigens of the second generation Chiron RIBA-2 assay (Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, Calif.), while infection with divergent HCV genotypes elicited antibodies mainly reactive to c22-3 and c33c. Reactivities with antibodies 5-1-1 and c100-3 were infrequent and were generally weak, irrespective of the geographical origin of the donor. Because the envelope region of HCV is even more variable than the NS-4 region, it is likely that vaccines based on these proteins need to be multivalent and perhaps specifically adapted for different geographical regions.
Mohamed Abdalla, Iris Feigenwinter, Mark Richards
et al.
This study used the ECOSSE model (v. 5.0.1) to simulate soil respiration (Rs) fluxes estimated from ecosystem respiration (R<sub>eco</sub>) for eight European permanent grassland (PG) sites with varying grass species, soils, and management. The main aim was to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the model in estimating Rs from grasslands, and to gain a better understanding of the terrestrial carbon cycle and how Rs is affected by natural and anthropogenic drivers. Results revealed that the current version of the ECOSSE model might not be reliable for estimating daily Rs fluxes, particularly in dry sites. The daily estimated and simulated Rs ranged from 0.95 to 3.1 g CO<sub>2</sub>-C m<sup>−2</sup>, and from 0.72 to 1.58 g CO<sub>2</sub>-C m<sup>−2</sup>, respectively. However, ECOSSE could still be a valuable tool for predicting cumulative Rs from PG. The overall annual relative deviation (RD) value between the cumulative estimated and simulated annual Rs was 11.9%. Additionally, the model demonstrated accurate simulation of Rs in response to grass cutting and slurry application practices. The sensitivity analyses and attribution tests revealed that increased soil organic carbon (SOC), soil pH, temperature, reduced precipitation, and lower water table (WT) depth could lead to increased Rs from soils. The variability of Rs fluxes across sites and years was attributed to climate, weather, soil properties, and management practices. The study suggests the need for additional development and application of the ECOSSE model, specifically in dry and low input sites, to evaluate the impacts of various land management interventions on carbon sequestration and emissions in PG.
1Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary 2Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Düzce University, Konuralp, Turkey 3Institute of General and Experimental Biology SB RAS, Ulan-Ude, Russia 4Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary 5Department of Botany, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary 6Department of Climatology and Landscape Ecology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary 7College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China 8Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria 9Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran, Iran 10Department of Biology, I. G. Petrovsky Bryansk State University, Bryansk, Russia 11MTA-DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
Progression of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) to muscle-invasive disease (MIBC) significantly worsens life expectancy. Its risk can be assessed by clinicopathological factors according to international guidelines. However, additional molecular markers are needed to refine and improve the prediction. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to predict the progression of NMIBCs to MIBC by assessing p53 expression, polysomy of chromosome 17 (Chr17) and HER2 status in the tissue specimens of the tumors of 90 NMIBC patients. Median follow-up was 77 months (range 2–158). Patients with Chr17 polysomy or HER2 gene amplification had a higher rate of disease progression (hazard ratio: 7.44; p < 0.001 and 4.04; p = 0.033, respectively; univariate Cox regression). Multivariable Cox regression models demonstrated that the addition of either Chr17 polysomy or HER2 gene amplification status to the European Association of Urology (EAU) progression risk score increases the c-index (from 0.741/EAU/ to 0.793 and 0.755, respectively), indicating that Chr17 polysomy/HER2 amplification status information improves the accuracy of the EAU risk table in predicting disease progression. HER2/Chr17 in situ hybridization can be used to select non-progressive cases not requiring strict follow-up, by reclassifying non-HER2-amplified, non-polysomic NMIBCs from the high- and very high-risk groups of EAU to the intermediate-risk group.
Etelka Pöstyéni, Alma Ganczer, Alma Ganczer
et al.
The mammalian retina contains approximately 30 neuropeptides that are synthetized by different neuronal cell populations, glia, and the pigmented epithelium. The presence of these neuropeptides leaves a mark on normal retinal molecular processes and physiology, and they are also crucial in fighting various pathologies (e.g., diabetic retinopathy, ischemia, age-related pathologies, glaucoma) because of their protective abilities. Retinal pathologies of different origin (metabolic, genetic) are extensively investigated by genetically manipulated in vivo mouse models that help us gain a better understanding of the molecular background of these pathomechanisms. These models offer opportunities to manipulate gene expression in different cell types to help reveal their roles in the preservation of retinal health or identify malfunction during diseases. In order to assess the current status of transgenic technologies available, we have conducted a literature survey focused on retinal disorders of metabolic origin, zooming in on the role of retinal neuropeptides in diabetic retinopathy and ischemia. First, we identified those neuropeptides that are most relevant to retinal pathologies in humans and the two clinically most relevant models, mice and rats. Then we continued our analysis with metabolic disorders, examining neuropeptide-related pathways leading to systemic or cellular damage and rescue. Last but not least, we reviewed the available literature on genetically modified mouse strains to understand how the manipulation of a single element of any given pathway (e.g., signal molecules, receptors, intracellular signaling pathways) could lead either to the worsening of disease conditions or, more frequently, to substantial improvements in retinal health. Most attention was given to studies which reported successful intervention against specific disorders. For these experiments, a detailed evaluation will be given and the possible role of converging intracellular pathways will be discussed. Using these converging intracellular pathways, curative effects of peptides could potentially be utilized in fighting metabolic retinal disorders.
Tewodros Yosef, Wondimagegn Wondimu, Tadesse Nigussie
et al.
BackgroundHIV-positive people can spread the virus through unprotected sex; however, HIV can be avoided if populations are educated about the risks. In underdeveloped nations, evidence suggests that the ABC method for HIV prevention is quite effective. As a result, the goal of this study was to determine the magnitude of HIV prevention behavior among adults in the Majang zone of Southwest Ethiopia, as well as the factors that influence it.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from March 1st to May 31st, 2019. The data were collected through a face-to-face interview using a modified validated questionnaire among systematically selected study participants. The collected data were coded and entered using Epidata manager version 4.0.2.101 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. A logistic regression analysis was computed to determine the association using crude and adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals. The level of significance was declared at a p-value less than 0.05.ResultsOf the 772 adults interviewed, the proportion of adults who had good HIV preventive behavior was 51.8%, 95% CI [48.3–55.3%]. Two hundred forty (31.9%) were used abstinence as a type of HIV preventive behavior followed by being faithful (16.1%) and consistent condom use (7.3%). The study also found that respondents with the age group ≥27 years old (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI [1.3–3.12]), marital status (being married (AOR = 6.30, 95% CI [4.48–11.4]), and divorced/widowed (AOR = 5.50, 95% CI [2.60–12.4]) and having good knowledge of HIV prevention methods (AOR = 2.18, 95% CI [1.71–4.00]) were the factors associated with good HIV preventive behavior.Conclusion and RecommendationIn the study area, overall HIV prevention behavior was average. The characteristics linked with successful HIV prevention behavior among adults in the Majang community included increasing age, being married or divorced/widowed, and having a solid understanding of HIV prevention approaches. As a result, policy-level and multi-sectorial intervention approaches from all stakeholders are necessary to develop short- and long-term strategies to address the problem and improve the community’s quality of life.