Exosomes, a major subpopulation of small extracellular vesicles (sEV), are conserved mediators of intercellular communication, yet the properties of their endosomal precursors, intraluminal vesicles (ILV), have not been systematically quantified across species or imaging modalities. This study systematically evaluates ILV sizes across diverse eukaryotic species and modalities while assessing their relationship to secreted sEV sizes. We carried out two complementary meta-analyses of ILV sizes based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data across species. This was followed by in situ assessment of sEVs secreted by HEK293T cells with TEM, nanoparticle tracking analysis and super-resolution microscopy characterization. Across species, imaging modalities, and cellular contexts, ILV sizes were under approximately 200 nm, with a mean diameter of 100.5 nm, overlapping with the size range of sEVs. This study addresses an existing knowledge gap by systematically evaluating ILV size across species and revealing an upper size limit of approximately 200 nm.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder affecting approximately 2% of the global population, characterized by abnormal keratinocyte proliferation and dysregulated immune responses. This review examines the emerging role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in psoriasis pathogenesis, highlighting their significance as regulatory molecules in disease initiation, progression, and chronicity. LncRNAs demonstrate distinct expression patterns in psoriatic lesions, with upregulated transcripts such as MALAT1, XIST, MIR31HG, and HOTAIR promoting keratinocyte hyperproliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, and amplifying inflammatory cascades through mechanisms including microRNA sponging and transcription factor modulation. These molecules primarily target key signaling pathways including NF-κB, STAT3, and PI3K/AKT. Conversely, downregulated lncRNAs like NEAT1, MEG3, and PRINS normally function as tumor suppressor molecules that maintain epidermal homeostasis through pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Their reduced expression contributes to the pathological hyperproliferative phenotype characteristic of psoriatic skin. Importantly, genetic variants within lncRNA loci have been identified as significant contributors to psoriasis susceptibility and treatment responses across different populations. Single- nucleotide polymorphisms in genes such as TRAF3IP2-AS1, HOTAIR, and CDKN2B-AS1 demonstrate population-specific associations with disease risk and therapeutic outcomes, suggesting their potential utility as pharmacogenomic markers. The complex regulatory networks involving lncRNAs provide new insights into psoriasis pathogenesis and offer promising avenues for personalized treatment strategies. Integration of lncRNA profiling into clinical practice may enhance our understanding of disease heterogeneity and improve therapeutic outcomes for psoriatic patients.
Csilla Zsuzsanna Dávid, Norbert Kúsz, Orinamhe Godwin Agbadua
et al.
Phenolic compounds are the main special metabolites of Cyperaceae species from phytochemical, pharmacological, and chemotaxonomical points of view. The present study focused on the isolation, structure determination, and pharmacological investigation of constituents from Carex praecox. Twenty-six compounds, including lignans, stilbenes, flavonoids, megastigmanes, chromenes, and phenylpropanoids, were identified from the methanol extract of the plant. Five of these compounds, namely, carexines A–E, are previously undescribed natural products. All compounds were isolated for the first time from C. praecox. The ACE-inhibitory activity of seven stilbenoid compounds was tested, and (–)-hopeaphenol proved to be the most active (IC50 7.7 ± 0.9 μM). The enzyme–kinetic studies revealed a mixed-type inhibition; therefore, domain-specific studies were also conducted. The in silico docking of (–)-hopeaphenol to the ACE affirmed some favorable interactions. In addition, the antiproliferative and antibacterial effects of some compounds were also evaluated.
Changing climate patterns represent a major challenge for Hungarian municipalities, particularly with regard to the increasing severity and frequency of heatwaves. As a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, thousands of people moved to communities around Lake Balaton; therefore, cities and villages should place more emphasis on their long-term sustainability and climate resilience. This article addresses the literature gap in assessing the heatwave resilience of Hungarian settlements, focusing on the municipalities of the Lake Balaton Resort Area. Our main objective was to uncover spatial and temporal patterns in the 180 settlements involved in the analysis by using an indicator-based comparative method. The set of indicators included nine sensitivity and six adaptive capacity measures referring to the base years 2015 and 2022. Our results show heterogeneous spatial patterns across the analysed categories; however, several regional clusters can be identified: 1) in general, settlements from the northern part of the study area had above-average adaptive capacity, while the southern and south-western municipalities had significantly lower values, 2) only one micro-regional cluster can be defined in terms of sensitivity values in the northern part of the study area; 3) below average resilience values were found in the south-western and southern areas; 4) finally, neither sensitivity nor adaptive capacity nor overall resilience scores had changed significantly over time at the regional level. The applied methodology can easily be adopted in other Hungarian or even Central and Eastern European cities; consequently, new results can contribute to a better understanding of inter- and intra-regional patterns of heatwave resilience at the local level.
Amino acids are vital motifs in the domain of biochemistry, serving as the foundational unit for peptides and proteins, while also holding a crucial function in many biological processes. Due to their bifunctional character, they have been also used for combinatorial chemistry purposes, such as the preparation of DNA-encoded chemical libraries. We developed a practical synthesis for α-heteroaryl-α-amino acids starting from an array of small heteroaromatic halides. The reaction sequence utilizes a photochemically enhanced Negishi cross-coupling as a key step, followed by oximation and reduction. The prepared amino esters were validated for on-DNA reactivity via a reverse amidation–hydrolysis–reverse amidation protocol.
The study deals with the illegal abuse of cryptocurrency-mining, the phenomenon of the so-called ‘cryptojacking’, which is such an unknown crime that it has not even had a Hungarian name so far. The aim of the study is to examine the illegal mining of cryptocurrencies – as an abstract act – giving a detailed description about their characteristics and their place in the present Hungarian criminal law system. A further aim of the study is to make suggestions to the legislature and law enforcement bodies for the criminal assessment of the illegal mining of cryptocurrencies, based on the review of the relevant legal acts and the related cases.
Alexandra Juhasz, Elly Spiers, Ellie Tinsley
et al.
From the safety inside vehicles, Knowsley Safari offers visitors a close-up encounter with captive olive baboons. As exiting vehicles may be contaminated with baboon stool, a comprehensive coprological inspection was conducted to address public health concerns. Baboon stools were obtained from vehicles, and sleeping areas, inclusive of video analysis of baboon–vehicle interactions. A purposely selected 4-day sampling period enabled comparative inspections of 2662 vehicles, with a total of 669 baboon stools examined (371 from vehicles and 298 from sleeping areas). As informed by our pilot study, front-line diagnostic methods were: QUIK-CHEK rapid diagnostic test (RDT) (Giardia and Cryptosporidium), Kato–Katz coproscopy (Trichuris) and charcoal culture (Strongyloides). Some 13.9% of vehicles were contaminated with baboon stool. Prevalence of giardiasis was 37.4% while cryptosporidiosis was <0.01%, however, an absence of faecal cysts by quality control coproscopy, alongside lower than the expected levels of Giardia-specific DNA, judged RDT results as misleading, grossly overestimating prevalence. Prevalence of trichuriasis was 48.0% and strongyloidiasis was 13.7%, a first report of Strongyloides fuelleborni in UK. We advise regular blanket administration(s) of anthelminthics to the colony, exploring pour-on formulations, thereafter, smaller-scale indicator surveys would be adequate.
The measurement of two-particle Bose-Einstein momentum correlation functions are presented using $\sqrt{s_{_{\text{NN}}}}=5.02$ TeV PbPb collision data, recorded by the CMS experiment in 2018. The measured correlation functions are discussed in terms of Lévy type source distributions. The Lévy source parameters are extracted as functions of transverse mass and collision centrality. These source parameters include the correlation strength $λ$, the Lévy stability index $α$, and the Lévy scale parameter $R$. The source shape, characterized by $α$, is found to be neither Gaussian nor Cauchy. A hydrodynamic-like scaling of $R$ is also observed.
Marietta Balázsné Lendvai, Ildikó Kovács, Bence Ferenc Balázs
et al.
As a lifestyle and consumer trend, the LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) has been growing in popularity worldwide. The LOHAS is followed by a consumer group that is characterised by consumer attitudes and behaviours focusing on health and sustainability, that is increasingly concerned about global problems and challenges, and that follows trends related to sustainability, such as health and environmental consciousness. In addition, this group strives for a sense of naturalness, aims to behave ethically, and seeks to hold authentic and individualistic values. The objective of this research is to explore how young people today relate to the components of the LOHAS model, how the different characters respond, and what their perceived values are. We are also looking for answers pertaining to whether clusters may be formed based on the examined factors. In our study, we surveyed 357 Hungarian respondents, who are members of Generation Z. As a method of data analysis, descriptive statistical methods, correlation analyses, factor analysis, cluster analysis, and the persona profiles were designed using the design thinking method. Based on the factors of the LOHAS model, three separate groups may be ascertained within Generation Z: personas that fit the LOHAS, personas that could fit the LOHAS, and personas that do not fit LOHAS.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing fast. In 2018, there was approximately one connected device per person on earth and the number has been growing ever since. The devices interact with the environment via different modalities at the same time using sensors and actuators making the programs parallel. Yet, writing this type of programs is difficult because the devices have little computation power and memory, the platforms are heterogeneous and the languages are low level. Task Oriented Programming (TOP) is a declarative programming language paradigm that is used to express coordination of work, collaboration of users and systems, the distribution of shared data and the human-computer interaction. The mTask language is a specialized, yet full-fledged, multi-backend TOP language for IoT devices. With the bytecode interpretation backend and the integration with iTask, tasks can be executed on the device dynamically. This means that -- according to the current state of affairs -- tasks can be tailor-made at run time, compiled to device-agnostic bytecode and shipped to the device for interpretation. Tasks sent to the device are fully integrated in iTask to allow every form of interaction with the tasks such as observation of the task value and interaction with Shared Data Sources (SDSs). The entire IoT application -- both server and devices -- are programmed in a single language, albeit using two embedded Domain Specific Languages (EDSLs).
Narges Adibsereshki, Nikta Hatamizadeh, Anoshirvan Kazemnejad
et al.
Background: The importance of strong self-regulation (SR) abilities for academic and social success is known, yet relatively few studies examine students’ SR and how it can be promoted especially in adolescents with special needs, such as those students with hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a resilience intervention program enhances SR in adolescents with hearing loss.
Methods: This study was experimental with a pre-test, post-test, follow up and control group design. Participants included 122 students with hearing loss in mainstream settings randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (61 students in each group). The interventional group had training for six weeks (two times per week for 75 min). The Adolescent Self-Regulatory Inventory was used to measure the self-regulation of students.
Results: The results indicated a significant difference between the control and interventional groups in SR, short SR, and Long SR after the intervention, at both the 6-week and 14-week measurements (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: This study’s findings indicate that implementing resilience intervention programs can promote the self-regulation skills in adolescent students with hearing loss.
The concept of reaction extent (the progress of a reaction, advancement of the reaction, conversion, etc.) was introduced around 100 years ago. Most of the literature provides a definition for the exceptional case of a single reaction step or gives an implicit definition that cannot be made explicit. There are views that the reaction extent somehow has to tend to 1 when the reaction goes to completion as time tends to infinity. However, there is no agreement on which function should tend to 1. Starting from the standard definition by IUPAC and following the classical works by De Donder, Aris, and Croce we extend the classic definition of the reaction extent for an arbitrary number of species and reaction steps. The new general, explicit definition is also valid for non-mass action kinetics. We also studied the mathematical properties (evolution equation, continuity, monotony, differentiability, etc.) of the defined quantity, connecting them to the formalism of modern reaction kinetics. Our approach tries to adhere to the customs of chemists and be mathematically correct simultaneously. To make the exposition easy to understand, we use simple chemical examples and many figures, throughout. We also show how to apply this concept to exotic reactions: reactions with more than one stationary state, oscillatory reactions, and reactions showing chaotic behavior. The main advantage of the new definition of reaction extent is that by knowing the kinetic model of a reacting system one can now calculate not only the time evolution of the concentration of each reacting species but also the number of occurrences of the individual reaction events.
Nenad Miljković, Brian Godman, Brian Godman
et al.
IntroductionWhile medicine shortages are complex, their mitigation is more of a challenge. Prospective risk assessment as a means to mitigate possible shortages, has yet to be applied equally across healthcare settings. The aims of this study have been to: 1) gain insight into risk-prevention against possible medicine shortages among healthcare experts; 2) review existing strategies for minimizing patient-health risks through applied risk assessment; and 3) learn from experiences related to application in practice.MethodologyA semi-structured questionnaire focusing on medicine shortages was distributed electronically to members of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action 15105 (28 member countries) and to hospital pharmacists of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) (including associated healthcare professionals). Their answers were subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis (Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and IBM SPSS Statistics®) with descriptive statistics based on the distribution of responses. Their proportional difference was tested by the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test for independence. Differences in the observed ordinal variables were tested by the Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis test. The qualitative data were tabulated and recombined with the quantitative data to observe, uncover and interpret meanings and patterns.ResultsThe participants (61.7%) are aware of the use of risk assessment procedures as a coping strategy for medicine shortages, and named the particular risk assessment procedure they are familiar with failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) (26.4%), root cause analysis (RCA) (23.5%), the healthcare FMEA (HFMEA) (14.7%), and the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) (14.7%). Only 29.4% report risk assessment as integrated into mitigation strategy protocols. Risk assessment is typically conducted within multidisciplinary teams (35.3%). Whereas 14.7% participants were aware of legislation stipulating risk assessment implementation in shortages, 88.2% claimed not to have reported their findings to their respective official institutions. 85.3% consider risk assessment a useful mitigation strategy.ConclusionThe study indicates a lack of systematically organized tools used to prospectively analyze clinical as well as operationalized risk stemming from medicine shortages in healthcare. There is also a lack of legal instruments and sufficient data confirming the necessity and usefulness of risk assessment in mitigating medicine shortages in Europe.
Silane cross-linked polyethylene (PE) modified with two antioxidants (Irganox 1076 and Irganox PS802) and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) as a flame retardant, was irradiated with gamma rays at 77 K. The radical processes initiated by radiation were investigated by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy from 100 K to the temperatures at which the spectra disappeared. Interpretation of the experimental signals was proposed. The mechanism of the two-stage action of phenolic antioxidant on PE was suggested on the basis of EPR spectra of individual components. It was found that paramagnetic defects generated by radiation in ATH decayed in parallel and independently of radical processes in PE matrix due to phase separation. Thus, in contrast to antioxidants, they did not affect the degradation of the PE matrix. The decrease in concentration of ATH defects in the range of 100–190 K was more efficient in the dispersed phase of the polymer composite than in the microcrystalline ATH powder.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, Chemical technology
A tanulmány áttekintő jelleggel mutatja be a székelyföldi társadalomtudományi kutatások 1989
utáni helyzetét, ismerteti a kutatások szerveződésének intézményi kereteit. Bemutatja a székelyföldi térségi társadalom fontosabb jellemzőit azzal a céllal, hogy értelmezési kontextust kínáljon a Metszetek számára készített összeállítás egészéhez. Jelzi azokat az elemzési területeket is,
amelyek kapcsán térségi kutatások zajlottak, de ebbe az összeállításba terjedelmei okok miatt
nem kerülhettek bele.
The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond is a solid-state defect qubit with favorable coherence time up to room temperature, which could be harnessed in several quantum-enhanced sensor and quantum communication applications, and has a potential in quantum simulation and computing. The quantum control largely depends on the intricate details about the electronic structure and states of the NV center, the radiative and nonradiative rates between these states, and the coupling of these states to external spins, electric, magnetic, and strain fields, and temperature. This review shows how first-principles calculations contributed to understanding the properties of the NV center and briefly discusses the issues to be solved toward the full ab initio description of solid-state defect qubits.
Rachid Guerraoui, Petr Kuznetsov, Matteo Monti
et al.
Byzantine reliable broadcast is a powerful primitive that allows a set of processes to agree on a message from a designated sender, even if some processes (including the sender) are Byzantine. Existing broadcast protocols for this setting scale poorly, as they typically build on quorum systems with strong intersection guarantees, which results in linear per-process communication and computation complexity. We generalize the Byzantine reliable broadcast abstraction to the probabilistic setting, allowing each of its properties to be violated with a fixed, arbitrarily small probability. We leverage these relaxed guarantees in a protocol where we replace quorums with stochastic samples. Compared to quorums, samples are significantly smaller in size, leading to a more scalable design. We obtain the first Byzantine reliable broadcast protocol with logarithmic per-process communication and computation complexity. We conduct a complete and thorough analysis of our protocol, deriving bounds on the probability of each of its properties being compromised. During our analysis, we introduce a novel general technique we call adversary decorators. Adversary decorators allow us to make claims about the optimal strategy of the Byzantine adversary without having to make any additional assumptions. We also introduce Threshold Contagion, a model of message propagation through a system with Byzantine processes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first formal analysis of a probabilistic broadcast protocol in the Byzantine fault model. We show numerically that practically negligible failure probabilities can be achieved with realistic security parameters.
Bose-Einstein (or HBT) momentum correlations reveal the space-time structure of the particle emitting source created in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions. In this paper we present the latest NA61/SHINE measurements of Bose-Einstein correlations of identified pion pairs and their description based on Levy distributed sources in Be+Be collisions at 150A GeV/c. We investigate the transverse mass dependence of the Levy source parameters and discuss their possible interpretations.
In this article the most modern versions of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) will be presented from the aspect of safer identification of dangerous effluent materials during rail accidents and catastrophes. These technologies are crucial to minimize the pollution of dangerous waste generated during accidents or catastrophes. Doing this, exploration of further opportunities of waste management – satisfying the conditions of the highest level of environmental safety – is necessary, as well as to find new methods to handle waste in time securely and professionally. Exploration of unprecedented solutions during rail- and road accidents or catastrophes is also reasonable. Relevancy of application of drones is particular as long as the approachability of the affected area is difficult or impossible. During the neutralization of explosive, hazardous or toxic materials the risk of life could be eliminated using drones equipped with the most modern technologies.
We describe fireballs that rehadronize from a perfect fluid of quark matter, characterized by the lattice QCD equation of state, to a chemically frozen, multi-component mixture, that contains various kinds of observable hadrons. For simplicity and clarity, we apply a non-relativistic approximation to describe the kinematics of this expansion. Unexpectedly, we identify a secondary explosion that may characterize fireball hydrodynamics at the QCD critical point. After rehadronization, the multi-component mixture of hadrons keeps on rotating and expanding together, similarly to a single component fluid. After kinetic freeze-out, the effective temperature $T_{i}$ of the single-particle spectra of hadron type $h_i$ is found to be a sum of the kinetic freeze-out temperature $T_f$ (that is independent of the hadron type $h_i$) and a term proportional to the mass $m_i$ of hadron type $h_i$. The coefficient of proportionality to $m_i$ is also found to be independent of the hadron type $h_i$ but be dependent on the radial flow and vorticity of collective dynamics.