Recent advances in the use of Trichoderma-containing multicomponent microbial inoculants for pathogen control and plant growth promotion.

Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used in agricultural production worldwide to prevent damage from plant pathogenic microorganisms, insects, and nematodes, to minimize crop losses and to preserve crop quality. However, the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers can severely pollute soil, water, and air, posing risks to the environment and human health. Consequently, developing new, alternative, environment-friendly microbial soil treatment interventions for plant protection and crop yield increase has become indispensable. Members of the filamentous fungal genus Trichoderma (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Hypocreales) have long been known as efficient antagonists of plant pathogenic microorganisms based on various beneficial traits and abilities of these fungi. This minireview aims to discuss the advances in the field of Trichoderma-containing multicomponent microbiological inoculants based on recent experimental updates. Trichoderma strains can be combined with each other, with other fungi and/or with beneficial bacteria. The development and field performance of such inoculants will be addressed, focusing on the complementarity, synergy, and compatibility of their microbial components.

E2FA and E2FB transcription factors coordinate cell proliferation with seed maturation.

The E2F transcription factors and the RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED repressor protein are principal regulators coordinating cell proliferation with differentiation, but their role during seed development is little understood. We show that in fully developed Arabidopsis thaliana embryos, cell number was not affected either in single or double mutants for the activator-type E2FA and E2FB Accordingly, these E2Fs are only partially required for the expression of cell cycle genes. In contrast, the expression of key seed maturation genes LEAFY COTYLEDON 1/2 (LEC1/2), ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3, FUSCA 3 and WRINKLED 1 is upregulated in the e2fab double mutant embryo. In accordance, E2FA directly regulates LEC2, and mutation at the consensus E2F-binding site in the LEC2 promoter de-represses its activity during the proliferative stage of seed development. In addition, the major seed storage reserve proteins, 12S globulin and 2S albumin, became prematurely accumulated at the proliferating phase of seed development in the e2fab double mutant. Our findings reveal a repressor function of the activator E2Fs to restrict the seed maturation programme until the cell proliferation phase is completed.

[Classical antihypertensive drugs: diuretics]. / Klasszikus vérnyomáscsökkentok: diuretikumok.

The diuretics are essential medicaments of antihypertensive therapy. They reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular events optimally. With increasing doses of thiazides and thiazide analogs do not come further powerful effect of reducing blood pressure or cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, but clearly elevate the side effects. Because of it, the minimum effective dose level and the fixed-dose combination therapy should be preferred. The use these drugs leads to especially positive outcome in elder patients, isolated systolic hypertension, heart failure, after stroke and in black population. Loop diuretics as antihypertensive therapy can be used only by renal impairment. The use of aldosterone antagonists can have a good effect not only on heart failure but also on prevention of atrial fibrillation. Furthermore, using it in a combination therapy with thiazides, it reduces the risk of hypokalemia. Therefore, the diuretic treatment in hypertension is flourishing again. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(11), 403-408.

[Epidemiology and treatment of chronic heart failure; use of bisoprolol]. / A krónikus szívelégtelenség epidemiológiája, a kezelési lehetoségek, a bisoprolol helye a terápiás palettán.

The prevalence of chronic heart failure in Hungary is 1.6% in the adult population, but it occurs in 15-20% of subjects over 80 years of age. The base of treatment of heart failure is the blockade of the neuro-hormonal system, which includes the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (angiotensin receptor blockers in case of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors intolerance), beta receptor blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Because of their negative inotropic effect, beta blockers were neglected for a long time from the treatment of heart failure. However, during the past decades several studies have demonstrated that beta blockers decrease mortality in patients with heart failure. The effectiveness of bisoprolol in reducing mortality has also also been documented in a number of studies.

Development of a Multicomponent Microbiological Soil Inoculant and Its Performance in Sweet Potato Cultivation.

The cultivation and consumption of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) are increasing globally. As the usage of chemical fertilizers and pest control agents during its cultivation may lead to soil, water and air pollution, there is an emerging need for environment-friendly, biological solutions enabling increased amounts of healthy crop and efficient disease management. Microbiological agents for agricultural purposes gained increasing importance in the past few decades. Our goal was to develop an agricultural soil inoculant from multiple microorganisms and test its application potential in sweet potato cultivation. Two Trichoderma strains were selected: Trichoderma ghanense strain SZMC 25217 based on its extracellular enzyme activities for the biodegradation of plant residues, and Trichoderma afroharzianum strain SZMC 25231 for biocontrol purposes against fungal plant pathogens. The Bacillus velezensis strain SZMC 24986 proved to be the best growth inhibitor of most of the nine tested strains of fungal species known as plant pathogens, therefore it was also selected for biocontrol purposes against fungal plant pathogens. Arthrobacter globiformis strain SZMC 25081, showing the fastest growth on nitrogen-free medium, was selected as a component with possible nitrogen-fixing potential. A Pseudomonas resinovorans strain, SZMC 25872, was selected for its ability to produce indole-3-acetic acid, which is among the important traits of potential plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). A series of experiments were performed to test the selected strains for their tolerance to abiotic stress factors such as pH, temperature, water activity and fungicides, influencing the survivability in agricultural environments. The selected strains were used to treat sweet potato in two separate field experiments. Yield increase was observed for the plants treated with the selected microbial consortium (synthetic community) in comparison with the control group in both cases. Our results suggest that the developed microbial inoculant has the potential to be used in sweet potato plantations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the successful application of a fungal-bacterial consortium in sweet potato cultivation.

Epidemiology, Biotic Interactions and Biological Control of Armillarioids in the Northern Hemisphere.

Armillarioids, including the genera Armillaria, Desarmillaria and Guyanagaster, represent white-rot specific fungal saprotrophs with soilborne pathogenic potentials on woody hosts. They propagate in the soil by root-like rhizomorphs, connecting between susceptible root sections of their hosts, and often forming extended colonies in native forests. Pathogenic abilities of Armillaria and Desarmillaria genets can readily manifest in compromised hosts, or hosts with full vigour can be invaded by virulent mycelia when exposed to a larger number of newly formed genets. Armillaria root rot-related symptoms are indicators of ecological imbalances in native forests and plantations at the rhizosphere levels, often related to abiotic environmental threats, and most likely unfavourable changes in the microbiome compositions in the interactive zone of the roots. The less-studied biotic impacts that contribute to armillarioid host infection include fungi and insects, as well as forest conditions. On the other hand, negative biotic impactors, like bacterial communities, antagonistic fungi, nematodes and plant-derived substances may find applications in the environment-friendly, biological control of armillarioid root diseases, which can be used instead of, or in combination with the classical, but frequently problematic silvicultural and chemical control measures.

[Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring]. / Ambuláns vérnyomás-monitorozás.

During the last decades non-invasive 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has evolved from a research tool of limited clinical use into an important method for stratifying cardiovascular risk and guiding therapeutic decisions. Until recently, clinical use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring focused on identifying patients with white-coat hypertension, but accumulated evidence now points to its greater prognostic significance in determining risk for target-organ damage compared with that of office blood pressure measurements. Ambulatory measurement of blood pressure using automated devices has also demonstrated benefit in other indications, such as treatment resistance and borderline hypertension, or in hypertension during pregnancy. Future directions for hypertension research and treatment will need to consider the circadian cycle of blood pressure, the effect of treatment on blood pressure variability, and the magnitude of blood pressure changes in daily life.

[Fabry disease--diagnostic guideline]. / Fabry-betegség. Diagnosztikai útmutató.

Fabry disease is a rare, X-linked lysosomal storage disorder that leads to accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in different tissues of the body. The disease is progressive, first symptoms usually present in childhood. Consequencies of the diseases are disability and premature death. The disease in females could be as severe as in males although women may also be asymptomatic. The possibility of enzyme replacement therapy has made it necessary to elaborate a comprehensive guideline for the diagnosis and treatment follow-up. The guideline was established by a Hungarian multi-disciplinary working group, consisting of physicians who are involved in health care of Fabry patients. Previous clinical studies, published materials, and recently established international treatment guidelines were reviewed by the group.

[Management of Fabry disease]. / Fabry-betegség - terápiás útmutató

Fabry disease is a rare, X-linked lysosomal storage disorder that leads to accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in different tissues of the body. The disease is progressive and the first symptoms usually present in childhood. Consequences of the disease are disability and premature death. The disease in females could be as severe as in males although women may be asymptomatic. The possibility of enzyme replacement therapy has made it necessary to elaborate a comprehensive guideline for the diagnosis and treatment follow-up. The guideline has been summarized by a Hungarian multi-disciplinary working group consisting of physicians who are involved in diagnosis and care of Fabry patients. Previous clinical studies, published articles, and recently established international treatment guidelines were reviewed by the group.

Clinical effect of various trimetazidine formulations in chronic coronary syndrome / [A különféle trimetazidinkészítmények klinikai hatása stabil anginával járó krónikus koszorúér-szindrómában. Frissített módszeres áttekintés és metaanalízis]

Introduction: Trimetazidine is a metabolic agent of proven efficacy in the management of chronic coronary syndromes. According to guidelines, trimetazidine should be considered as a second-line treatment to reduce angina frequency and improve exercise tolerance in subjects whose symptoms are not adequately controlled by beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and/or long-acting nitrates. Aim: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different doses (3 × 20 mg, 2 × 35 mg, 1 × 80 mg) of trimetazidine formulations in stable angina pectoris. Primary outcomes consisted of clinical parameters: numbers of weekly angina attacks and nitroglycerin usage. Method: Articles were collected from PubMed, Cochrane Library and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases for the period from 1967 to 30 September 2019. Statistical analysis was performed by standard meta-analysis methods. Results: A total of 31 randomized controlled and observational trials, consisting of 9856 participants (mean age: 59.6 years, men: 61.6%) were included. Trimetazidine treatment, compared to placebo, reduced the number of weekly angina attacks (mean difference: ­1.84, 95% CI: ­2.39 to ­1.30; p<0.0001) and reduced weekly nitroglycerin consumption (­1.65, 95% CI: ­2.17 to ­1.14; p<0.0001) in randomized trials. Trimetazidine treatment reduced the number of weekly angina attacks (­3.73, 95% CI: ­4.53 to ­2.92; p<0.0001) and nitroglycerin consumption (­3.23, 95% CI: ­4.23 to ­2.24; p<0.0001) in observational studies. No difference in angina reduction and nitroglycerin intake was observed between the three treatment doses (p = 0.57 and p = 0.48, respectively). Further results: the two primary variables decreased from visit to visit, higher enrollment angina rates and lower doses of trimetazidine were observed in shorter studies. Patients in shorter trials were younger than subjects in the longer ones. In shorter studies, the initial needs for nitroglycerin consumption and the following reduction were greater than those with longer duration. Conclusions: Regardless of dosage, trimetazidine has a favorable clinical effect in stable angina. New finding is that younger patients with more severe conditions show the most clinical benefit from treatment with trimetazidine. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(16): 611­622.

Mean-field theory of a recurrent epidemiological model.

Our purpose is to provide a mean-field theory for the discrete time-step susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible (SIRS) model on uncorrelated networks with arbitrary degree distributions. The effect of network structure, time delays, and infection rate on the stability of oscillating and fixed point solutions is examined through analysis of discrete time mean-field equations. Consideration of two scenarios for disease contagion demonstrates that the manner in which contagion is transmitted from an infected individual to a contacted susceptible individual is of primary importance. In particular, the manner of contagion transmission determines how the degree distribution affects model behavior. We find excellent agreement between our theoretical results and numerical simulations on networks with large average connectivity.

Dynamics of the one-dimensional self-organized forest-fire model.

We examine the dynamical evolution of the one-dimensional self-organized forest-fire model (FFM), when the system is far from its statistically steady state. In particular, we investigate situations in which conditions change on a time scale that is faster than, or of the order of the typical time needed for relaxation. An analytical approach is introduced based on a hierarchy of first-order nonlinear differential equations. This hierarchy can be closed at any level, yielding a sequence of successively more accurate descriptions of the dynamics. It is found that our approximate description can yield a faithful description of the FFM dynamics, even when a low order truncation is used. Employing both full simulations of the FFM and our approximate descriptions, we examine the time scales and cluster-size-dependent dynamics of relaxation to the statistical equilibrium. As an example of changing external conditions in a natural forest, the effects of a time-dependent lightning frequency are considered.

[The prevention of the hypertension related damage in type-2 diabetes: the first step of the ADVANCE trial]. / A hipertónia szövodményeinek prevenciója 2-es típusú diabéteszben: az ADVANCE-tanulmány elso lépcsofoka.

ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular disease: preterAx and diamicroN-MR Controlled Evaluation) is a large-scale trial designed to investigate the benefits of blood pressure lowering and intensive glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. After a mean of 4.3 years of follow-up, 73% of those assigned to active treatment (fix combination of 4/1.25 mg perindopril/indapamide) and 74% of those assigned to control remained on randomised treatment. Compared with patients assigned to placebo, those assigned to active therapy had a mean reduction in blood pressure of 5.6/2.2 mm Hg. The relative risk of a major macrovascular or microvascular event was reduced by 9% (861 [15.5%] active vs 938 [16.8%] placebo; hazard ratio 0.91, 95% CI 0.83-1.00, p = 0.04). The fix combination of perindopril and indapamide could be the best possible protector against hypertension-related consequences for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Molecular Tools for Monitoring Trichoderma in Agricultural Environments.

Various Trichoderma species possess significance in agricultural systems as biofertilizers or biocontrol agents (BCAs). Besides these beneficial features, certain Trichoderma species can also act as agricultural pests, causing the green mold disease of cultivated mushrooms. This double-faced nature of the genus in agricultural environments points at the importance of proper monitoring tools, which can be used to follow the presence and performance of candidate as well as patented and/or registered biocontrol strains, to assess the possible risks arising from their application, but also to track harmful, unwanted Trichoderma species like the green molds in mushroom growing facilities. The objective of this review is to discuss the molecular tools available for the species- and strain-specific monitoring of Trichoderma, ranging from immunological approaches and fingerprinting tools to exogenous markers, specific primers used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as well as "omics" approaches.

Control of rare intense events in spatiotemporally chaotic systems.

We address the problem of using feedback control for the purpose of suppressing rare intense events in spatially extended systems. As an example, we investigate the use of control to suppress turbulent spikes in the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation in the limit of small dissipation. We explore how information obtained by forecasting can be used to implement spatially and temporally localized control parameter changes and how control strength and cost are related to effectiveness in this framework. The effects of model error and imperfect state measurement are also considered.

[Advanced credit: patient enrolling and therapy initiation in the ADVANCE trial]. / A megelolegezett bizalom: betegbeválasztás és a kezelés megkezdése az ADVANCE-tanulmányban.

In the new millennium, high blood pressure and diabetes are emerging as one of the greatest threats to the health of populations worldwide. The comanagement of diabetes (hemoglobinA1c < 6.5%), and hypertension (blood pressure <130/80 Hgmm), has become central to the prevention of macro- and microvascular disease in diabetic patients. The Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: PreterAx and DiamicroN trial, the first large prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial, uses a factorial 2 x 2 design to determine the effects on macro- and microvascular outcomes of blood pressure lowering (with a perindopril/indapamide combination) and of intensive glucose control using a gliclazide MR based regimen.

[The efficacy of indapamide in different cardiovascular outcome--meta-analysis]. / Az indapamid hatásosságának elemzése különbözô cardiovascularis végpontok szerint--metaanalízis.

BACKGROUND: First line antihypertensive treatment's drugs have to be able to decrease the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This kind of efficacy of thiazides type diuretics were published earlier in several studies. The efficacy of indapamide was investigated in several studies, but there is no analysis which is including all of the indapamide-studies. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a meta-analysis of all relevant randomized-controlled-trials with indapamide. Efficacy of indapamide was analyzed in different cardiovascular and safety outcomes. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE database 1995-2005 for indapamide-trials. Only double-blind, parallel-group design trials were involved. Both the fixed effect model and the random effect model were used for data synthesis, results were probed with Mantel-Hanzel test and inverse variance test. RESULTS: Data were combined from 9 trials that included 10 108 patients. Indapamide treatment of 48 patients with a history of stroke prevents another stroke (NNT = 47.8 95% CI 29.6-126.6). Data from 5 trials including 7085 patients show that indapamide is superior to placebo in reducing blood pressure, the differences are: 7.28 mm Hg (95% CI: 6.37-8.19) in systolic blood pressure and 3.50 mm Hg (95% CI 2.99-4.01) in diastolic blood pressure. Data from 5 trials including 2856 patients show that indapamide is superior to active controls in reducing systolic blood pressure, the difference is significant: 1.30 mm Hg (95% CI 0.28-2.31). The difference in diastolic blood pressure was not significant. Data of 505 patients show that indapamide reduced left ventricular mass index significantly more than enalapril 20 mg, the difference is 6.50 g/m(2) (95%CI: 0.81-12.19). Data of 6206 patients show that frequency of adverse drug reaction is similar in the indapamide and placebo groups (rr = 0.97 95%CI 0.76-1.22). CONCLUSIONS: Indapamide is efficacious in prevention of further stroke, reduces effectively the blood pressure and the left ventricular mass index. Indapamide treatment is well tolerated.

[The role of antioxidants in prevention]. / Antioxidánsok szerepe a prevencióban.

The imbalance between free radical formation and the mechanisms involved in eliminating them results in oxidative stress which lies at the baseline of many diseases. There are many pathological conditions that can be prevented or even be cured by the application of antioxidants. Food containing plenty of natural antioxidants is very important in the maintenance of health and in the prevention of many illnesses. In some diseases supplementation of antioxidants in the proper form and dosage may be irrelevant. According to nutrigenomics the biologically active components of nutrition, including antioxidants, have an influence on the body in every single cell at all levels. Therefore the quality of nutrients is one of the important factors determining the appropriate cell function.

Diurnal blood pressure pattern may predict the increase of urinary albumin excretion in normotensive normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetes mellitus patients.

To characterise the relationship between diurnal blood pressure and the subsequent increase of urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in normotensive normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed in 53 patients, who were then followed for 5 years. Albumin excretion rate changed from 12.4 (8.9-17.2) to 29.3 (15.2-47.0) mg/day. Macroalbuminuria developed in 2 (3.8%), microalbuminuria in 22 (41.5%) patients, 29 (54.7%) remained normoalbuminuric. Night-time diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher (64.3+/-6.5 vs. 60.9+/-5.5 mmHg, P<0.05), diastolic diurnal index significantly lower (15.5+/-9.7 vs. 22.3+/-6.2%, P<0.01) in patients who later progressed to micro- or macroalbuminuria. Diastolic diurnal index (r=-0.40; P<0.01) and nocturnal diastolic pressure (r=0.35; P<0.01) were correlated to the change in albumin excretion. In a multivariate analysis model with the change of albumin excretion as dependent, and means and diurnal indices of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, baseline UAE, cholesterol, triglycerides, HbA1c and retinopathy as independent parameters (r=0.68; P=0.001), diurnal index for diastolic blood pressure (beta=-0.30; r=0.013), baseline HbA1c (beta=0.32; P=0.010) and retinopathy (beta=0.44; P=0.001) were significant independent correlates. We conclude that the relative increase of nocturnal blood pressure is associated with the subsequent increase of albuminuria, which in turn is predictive of overt diabetic nephropathy.