Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Recent publications
Erdős introduced the quantity S=Ti=1TXiS=T\sum ^T_{i=1}|X_i|, where X1,,XTX_1,\dots , X_T are arithmetic progressions that cover the squares up to N. He conjectured that S is close to N, i.e. the square numbers cannot be covered “economically” by arithmetic progressions. Sárközy confirmed this conjecture and proved that ScN/log2NS\ge cN/\log ^2N. In this paper we extend this to shrinking polynomials and so-called {Xi}\{X_i\} quasi progressions.
It has been 15 years since the introduction of the NOVA food-processing classification. While it was designed to identify ultra-processed foods linked to noncommunicable diseases, the NOVA system has a holistic concept that fits with sustainable nutrition. However, NOVA’s connection to other sustainable diet indicators has not been thoroughly explored. The aim was to summarize the research and methodological context of using the NOVA system with other sustainable diet indicators and to investigate NOVA’s synergies and discordance with them. A scoping review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses—Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Studies published between 2009 and 2023 were collected from the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases. 1612 studies were initially screened; in the selected studies (n = 77), the NOVA system was applied in addition to other sustainable diet indicator(s). The studies were analyzed within a qualitative data analysis framework. 77 studies were analyzed in which healthiness (n = 66), environmental pressure (n = 9), affordability (n = 11), other processing classifications (n = 6), and other sustainable diet indicators (n = 10) were applied with NOVA. Among them, the identified relationships between the NOVA system and other healthfulness indicators were synergistic in the majority of studies (n = 70/93). For environmental pressure indicators, a mixed picture was observed; the NOVA classification was predominantly synergistic with greenhouse gas emissions (n = 8/13), while it was mostly discordant with fresh water use (n = 8/12). Economic affordability was also found to be discordant with the NOVA classification in the majority of studies (n = 10/16). To complete the NOVA classification with nutrient profiling would be beneficial to identify healthy diets. In the case of the integration of NOVA into sustainable nutrition research, environmental pressure and economic affordability indicators should be controlled to reach optimal trade-offs for more sustainable diets. The application of NOVA is gaining relevance; thus, its methodological adaptation to sustainable nutrition research is necessary.
This study investigates attitudes towards the adoption rights and parenting skills of same-sex couples in 25 European countries using data from the European Social Survey and the European Values Study. The aim is to explore how political-demographic processes and various types of pronatalism intersect and shape attitudes towards same-sex parenting issues. Our hierarchical regression analysis reveals that similar social groups generally accept both same-sex adoption rights and parenting skills. Additionally, attitudes towards these issues are influenced by views on immigration and voluntary childlessness, along with macro-level factors like legal regulations, gender inequality and religiosity. The study enhances the understanding of European political-demographic processes and the concept of selective patriotic pronatalism-defined as a preference for the reproduction of certain social groups over others, framed as a national or patriotic duty-by highlighting that various forms of pronatalism can actually impede reproductive empowerment. Keywords same-sex reproduction • political demography • selective patriotic pronatalism • reproductive empowerment • European Social Survey • European Values Study Key messages • This is the first study comparing attitudes towards same-sex adoption rights and parenting skills. • These attitudes serve as indicators of the political-demographic climate in Europe. • Views on immigration and childlessness are associated with attitudes towards same-sex parenting. • This study enhances understanding of factors that hinder reproductive empowerment.
Background The utilization of PD1 and CTLA4 inhibitors has revolutionized the treatment of malignant melanoma (MM). However, resistance to targeted and immune‐checkpoint‐based therapies still poses a significant problem. Objective Here, we mine large‐scale MM proteogenomic data to identify druggable targets and forecast treatment efficacy and resistance. Methods Leveraging protein profiles from established MM subtypes and molecular structures of 82 cancer treatment drugs, we identified nine candidate hub proteins, mTOR, FYN, PIK3CB, EGFR, MAPK3, MAP4K1, MAP2K1, SRC, and AKT1, across five distinct MM subtypes. These proteins are potential drug targets applicable to one or multiple MM subtypes. Additionally, by integrating proteogenomic profiles obtained from MM subtypes with MM cell line dependency and drug sensitivity data, we identified a total of 162 potentially targetable genes. Lastly, we identified 20 compounds exhibiting potential drug impact in at least one melanoma subtype. Results Employing these unbiased approaches, we have uncovered compounds targeting ferroptosis demonstrating a striking 30× fold difference in sensitivity among different subtypes. Conclusions Our results suggest innovative and novel therapeutic strategies by stratifying melanoma samples through proteomic profiling, offering a spectrum of novel therapeutic interventions and prospects for combination therapy.
Tragedy of the anticommons is the logical reciprocal to the better-known tragedy of the commons. It is generally characterized as a legal regime in which multiple owners hold rights of exclusion over a resource in demand. The resource cannot be put into use without a bundling of approvals from the various separate owners, yet bundling entails serious bargaining complications resulting in systematic Pareto underutilization. Nevertheless, we argue, the anticommons concept often has been employed without consistency and appropriate precision. Illustrations come primarily from the writings of Michael Heller, whose oft-cited work has been central to the anticommons literature. This paper presents a simple version of the formal anticommons model and demonstrates that relevant applications can be constructed with uniformity and analytic rigor.
Purpose In PAX6 syndrome, it is still not clear, whether prenatally, parallel to the iris tissue developmental anomaly, there is neural ectodermal, neural crest, or mesodermal cell deposition at the corneal endothelium, affecting endothelial structure and function. In addition, because of the postnatal corneal inflammation and commonly appearing secondary glaucoma, progressive endothelial changes are expected. Our purpose was to study the corneal endothelium in subjects with PAX6 aniridia, using in vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy. Methods Twenty-seven eyes of 16 subjects with congenital aniridia (age 28.25 ± 16.32 [11–59] years, 8 [50%] female) and 40 eyes of 26 healthy subjects (age 33.8 ± 15.2 [14–67] years, 17 [58.6%] females) were examined. Aniridia-associated keratopathy and iris malformation were graded, and means of endothelial cell density, cell area, cell diameter, spatial pattern of cell centroids (Clark–Evans index), polygonality, neighbor count, percentage of hexagonal cells, and endothelial deposit number were determined by in vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results Mean cell diameter and mean Clark–Evans index were significantly lower ( P = 0.049; P = 0.008) in congenital aniridia eyes than in controls. There were hyperreflective endothelial deposits in congenital aniridia eyes but not in controls ( P < 0.001). Only aniridia-associated keratopathy grade correlated positively with mean endothelial deposit number ( P = 0.017). Conclusions In congenital aniridia, the corneal endothelium might possess a slightly better quality and greater reserves than in healthy subjects. Corneal endothelial deposition seems to be independent from developmental abnormalities but may be related to up to date undescribed endothelial inflammatory or metabolic changes.
The lifestyle patterns of top athletes are highly disciplined, featuring strict exercise regimens, nutrition plans, and mental preparation, often beginning at a young age. Recently, it was shown that physically active individuals exhibit slowed epigenetic aging and better age-related outcomes. Here, we investigate whether the extreme intensity of physical activity of Olympic champions still has a beneficial effect on epigenetic aging. To test this hypothesis, we examined the epigenetic aging of 59 Hungarian Olympic champions and of the 332 control subjects, 205 were master rowers. We observed that Olympic champions exhibit slower epigenetic aging, applying seven state-of-the-art epigenetic aging clocks. Additionally, male champions who won any medal within the last 10 years showed slower epigenetic aging compared to other male champions, while female champions exhibited the opposite trend. We also found that wrestlers had higher age acceleration compared to gymnasts, fencers, and water polo players. We identified the top 20 genes that showed the most remarkable difference in promoter methylation between Olympic champions and non-champions. The hypo-methylated genes are involved in synaptic health, glycosylation, metal ion membrane transfer, and force generation . Most of the hyper-methylated genes were associated with cancer promotion. The data suggest that rigorous and long-term exercise from adolescence to adulthood has beneficial effects on epigenetic aging.
It is well known that the European Convention on Human Rights aims to remedy violations of individual human rights, i.e., it is not an instrument for the protection of minorities. However, the European Court of Human Rights has the potential to protect minority communities indirectly by interpreting Convention rights in the context of non-discrimination. This judicial role cannot be overestimated since ethnic and national tensions are crucial social problems of our time that can be resolved peacefully by legal means based on a desirable European consensus. However, for this to happen, it is first necessary to identify what a minority is (conceptualization) and who belongs to a minority group (operationalization). Through the analysis of selected cases, this article shows how far the Court has gone on this path and what major elements of conceptualization and operationalization can be identified in its jurisprudence. Shortcomings and missed opportunities in the Court's reasoning will also be pointed out. With respect to conceptualization, we claim that the theoretical concept of a minority can implicitly be identified in the Strasbourg case law, with minority identity as its central element. In accordance with this, the main method of operationalization for the Court is self-identification, along with the (often explicit) acceptance of the objective criteria of minority membership.
Research suggests that physical exercise is associated with prevention and management of chronic diseases. The influence of physical exercise on brain function and metabolism and the mechanisms involved are well documented in the literature. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the potential implications of physical exercise and the molecular benefits of exercise in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy. Here, we present an overview of the effects of exercise on various aspects of metabolism and brain function. To this end, we conducted an extensive literature search of the PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases to identify articles published in the past two decades. This review delves into key aspects including the modulation of neuroinflammation, neurotrophic factors, and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, we explored the potential role of exercise in advancing therapeutic strategies for these chronic diseases. In conclusion, the review highlights the importance of regular physical exercise as a complementary non-pharmacological treatment for individuals with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy.
The relationship between structural and functional of parameters of skeletal muscles in young athletes needs further observations. The analyses of their age-group differences, sexual dimorphism, asymmetry characteristics in body regions, in sports having different pattern of physical loading could serve important information in this topic. 175 elite Hungarian handball players aged between 14 and 21 years were examined in 2023. Muscle mass component of the body segments was estimated by DEXA method and muscle thickness of the anterior mid-thigh region was measured by a new ultrasonic technique. The strength of knee extensor muscles was assessed by using an isokinetic protocol (Kineosystem dynamometer). A strong association between muscle robusticity and strength in the thigh region was confirmed in males, but not in females. Asymmetry in muscle mass reflected in the asymmetry in the knee extensor strength. A new predictive equation of muscle mass in the jumping leg and the total body from the muscle thickness in the anterior mid-thigh region of jumping leg was introduced. The exploration and understanding of asymmetric structural and functional adaptations can help athletes and trainers in planning the training and training interventions to reduce the risk of injuries.
Empirical evidence suggests that body ownership and the sense of agency operate as an interactive system correlated with the level of consciousness during tasks involving modifications in body representation. This study sought to elucidate the nature of this association by documenting the verbal manifestations of this interaction. Specifically, the study aimed to reveal the role of a sense of agency in the individual sensitivity to the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI). The sense of agency was measured through a post hoc interview wherein participants could verbally express their rubber hand ownership and real hand disownership experiences following the RHI examination. The RHI was induced in 49 healthy, right-handed college volunteers, including 28 males (mean age 28.6) and 21 females (mean age 26.6). Three main scores - ownership, disownership, and proprioceptive drift - were defined to measure individual sensitivity to Rubber Hand Illusion. Verbal reports related to the RHI were analyzed utilizing an automated narrative content analysis toolkit which explored the deeper content of words and stories to identify situation-driven cognitive processes, specifically focusing on the rate of sense of agency and other cognitive variables. The findings indicated that a greater disruption in the sense of agency predicts increased sensitivity to the Rubber Hand Illusion. Therefore, individuals with a lower rate sense of agency exhibit increased malleability in body representation when a rubber hand illusion is induced. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-024-78822-4.
The planar Turán number exP(n,Ck)\textrm{ex}_{\mathcal {P}}(n,C_k) is the maximum number of edges in an n-vertex planar graph not containing a cycle of length k. Let k11k\ge 11 and c, d be constants. Cranston et al., and independently Lan and Song showed that exP(n,Ck)3n6cn/k\textrm{ex}_{\mathcal {P}}(n,C_k)\ge 3n-6- cn/k holds for large n. Moreover, Cranston et al. conjectured that exP(n,Ck)3n6dn/klog23\textrm{ex}_{\mathcal {P}}(n,C_k)\le 3n-6- dn/k^{\log _2 3} when n is large. In this note, we prove that exP(n,Ck)3n663log23n/klog23\textrm{ex}_{\mathcal {P}}(n,C_k)\ge 3n-6-6\cdot 3^{\log _23}n/k^{\log _2 3} holds for every k7k\ge 7. This implies that the conjecture of Cranston et al. is essentially best possible.
Background: Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease, which causes the accumulation of dense mucus in the lungs accompanied by frequent local inflammation. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen (IBU) and the mucolytic mannitol (MAN) can treat these symptoms. Compared to per os administration, a lower dose of these drugs is sufficient to achieve the desired effect by delivering them in a pulmonary manner. However, it is still a challenge to administer high drug doses to the lungs. We aim to develop two inhaled powder formulations, a single-drug product of MAN and a combined formulation containing IBU and MAN. Methods: MAN was dissolved in an aqueous solution of Poloxamer-188 (POL). In the case of the combined formulation, a suspension was first prepared in a planetary mill via wet milling in POL medium. After the addition of leucine (LEU), the formulations were spray-dried. The prepared DPI samples were analyzed by using laser diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, density tests, in vitro aerodynamic studies (Andersen Cascade Impactor, Spraytec® device), in vitro dissolution tests in artificial lung fluid, and in silico tests with stochastic lung model. Results: The DPIs showed suitability for inhalation with low-density spherical particles of appropriate size. The LEU-containing systems were characterized by high lung deposition and adequate aerodynamic diameter. The amorphization during the procedures resulted in rapid drug release. Conclusions: We have successfully produced a single-drug formulation and an innovative combination formulation, which could provide complex treatment for patients with cystic fibrosis to improve their quality of life.
The increasing prevalence of cannabis use during pregnancy has raised medical concerns, primarily related to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which readily crosses the placenta and affects fetal brain development. Previous research has identified dopaminergic alterations related to maternal THC consumption. However, the consequences that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) has on striatum-based processing during reward pursuit have not been determined. Here, we characterize PCE rats during food or opioid-maintained reward seeking. We find that the supramotivational phenotype of PCE rats is independent of value-based processing and is instead related to augmented reinforcing efficiency of opioid rewards. Our findings reveal that prenatal THC exposure leads to increased cue-evoked dopamine responses and an overrepresentation of effort-driven striatal encoding patterns. Recapitulating clinical findings, drug-related PCE adaptations were more pronounced in males, who showed increased vulnerability for relapse. Collectively, these findings indicate that prenatal THC exposure in male rats engenders a pronounced neurodevelopmental susceptibility to addiction-like disorders.
This paper describes the Combine software package used for statistical analyses by the CMS Collaboration. The package, originally designed to perform searches for a Higgs boson and the combined analysis of those searches, has evolved to become the statistical analysis tool presently used in the majority of measurements and searches performed by the CMS Collaboration. It is not specific to the CMS experiment, and this paper is intended to serve as a reference for users outside of the CMS Collaboration, providing an outline of the most salient features and capabilities. Readers are provided with the possibility to run Combine and reproduce examples provided in this paper using a publicly available container image. Since the package is constantly evolving to meet the demands of ever-increasing data sets and analysis sophistication, this paper cannot cover all details of Combine . However, the online documentation referenced within this paper provides an up-to-date and complete user guide.
Despite extensive research into English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in higher education, few if any studies have explored the role of higher education autonomy in driving EMI. This paper tests the novel hypothesis that university autonomy—spearheaded across European higher education through neoliberally predicated ‘steering at a distance’ reforms—predicts EMI. The data are multilevel with higher education institutions (HEIs) nested inside education systems. The University Autonomy Scorecards (Pruvot & Estermann, 2017) operationalise university autonomy at the education-system level (n = 26) and measure four dimensions of autonomy: academic, financial, staffing, and organisational. We include ‘overall autonomy’ as the average. The European Tertiary Education Register provides HEI-level data (n = 1815), which we combine with a count of English-taught degree programmes (ETPs) to measure EMI, provided by Study Portals, the largest online portal of degree programmes. We conduct multilevel regression to analyse the relationships between autonomy and EMI. The results showed that overall autonomy predicts EMI in public universities (p = 0.002). Increasing overall autonomy by one point above the mean increases the likelihood of offering EMI by 9.5%. Academic, staffing, and organisational autonomy predict EMI in public universities, whereas financial autonomy does not. The first to quantify a relationship between university autonomy and EMI, this study offers new insights into how EMI comes about. By revealing a previously obscured interconnectedness between language shift and higher education governance, the study demonstrates the value added of an interdisciplinary approach and proposes a new line of inquiry for future research.
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Balázs Lengyel
  • Centre for Economic and Regional Studies
Eva Mikics
  • MTA Institute of Experimental Medicine
Zoltán Pécskay
  • MTA Institute of Nuclear Research
Zsuzsanna Várkonyi
  • MTA Szeged Research Centre for Biology
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