"Unnatural Fornication" Cases Under State-Socialism: A Hungarian-Slovenian Comparative Social-Historical Approach.

This comparative social-historical study examines different versions of state-socialist body politics manifested in Hungary and Slovenia mainly during the 1950s by using archive material of "unnatural fornication" court cases. By analyzing the available Hungarian "természet elleni fajtalanság" and Slovenian "nenaravno obcevanje" court cases, we can shed light on how the defendants were treated by the police and the judiciary. On the basis of these archive data that have never been examined before from these angles, we can construct an at least partial picture of the practices and consequences of state surveillance of same-sex-attracted men during state-socialism. The article explores the functioning of state-socialist social control mechanisms directed at nonnormative sexualities that had long-lasting consequences on the social representation of homosexuality in both countries.

Effects of a social network HIV/STD prevention intervention for MSM in Russia and Hungary: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To test a novel social network HIV risk-reduction intervention for MSM in Russia and Hungary, where same-sex behavior is stigmatized and men may best be reached through their social network connections. DESIGN: A two-arm trial with 18 sociocentric networks of MSM randomized to the social network intervention or standard HIV/STD testing/counseling. SETTING: St. Petersburg, Russia and Budapest, Hungary. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen 'seeds' from community venues invited the participation of their MSM friends who, in turn, invited their own MSM friends into the study, a process that continued outward until eighteen three-ring sociocentric networks (mean size = 35 members, n = 626) were recruited. INTERVENTION: Empirically identified network leaders were trained and guided to convey HIV prevention advice to other network members. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: Changes in sexual behavior from baseline to 3-month and 12-month follow-up, with composite HIV/STD incidence, measured at 12 months to corroborate behavior changes. RESULTS: There were significant reductions between baseline, first follow-up, and second follow-up in the intervention versus comparison arm for proportion of men engaging in any unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) (P = 0.04); UAI with a nonmain partner (P = 0.04); and UAI with multiple partners (P = 0.002). The mean percentage of unprotected anal intercourse acts significantly declined (P = 0.001), as well as the mean number of UAI acts among men who initially had multiple partners (P = 0.05). Biological HIV/STD incidence was 15% in comparison condition networks and 9% in intervention condition networks. CONCLUSION: Even where same-sex behavior is stigmatized, it is possible to reach MSM and deliver HIV prevention through their social networks.

HIV/STD prevalence, risk behavior, and substance use patterns and predictors in Russian and Hungarian sociocentric social networks of men who have sex with men.

This study recruited four sociocentric networks (n = 156) of men who have sex with men in Budapest, Hungary, and St. Petersburg, Russia. The sampling approach was based on identifying an initial "seed" in the community for each network, and then recruiting three successive friendship group waves out from the seed. HIV prevalence in the networks was 9%, and the composite rate of other sexually transmitted diseases was 6%. 57% of participants reported both main and casual male partners, and two thirds reported unprotected anal intercourse in the past 3 months. Fifty-five percent of men's most recent anal intercourse acts were with nonexclusive partners, and 56% of most recent anal intercourse acts were unprotected. Sexual risk predictors were generally consistent with behavioral science theory. In addition, risk was associated with more often talking with friends about AIDS, higher ecstasy use, and less often drinking. Sociocentric social network sampling approaches are feasible and constitute a modality for reaching hidden high-risk populations inaccessible through conventional methods.

The impact of bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation on long-latency event-related potentials.

The analysis of long-latency event-related potentials (ERPs) is of importance in the evaluation of certain cognitive functions and in following their subsequent changes. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) itself can cause changes in the configuration of the ERPs. Using a standard oddball auditory paradigm, we elicited auditory cognitive ERPs in 23 Parkinson's disease patients (in both DBS-ON and DBS-OFF conditions) and in 14 healthy controls. The P200 and P300 amplitudes and latencies, the motor reaction times and the accuracy of button pressing were compared between the DBS-ON and DBS-OFF states and subsequently correlated with the applied stimulation voltage and disease duration. Comparison of the DBS-ON and DBS-OFF conditions revealed that neither the amplitude nor the latency of the examined ERP components changed significantly. However, the behavioral and attentional aspects (e.g. the accuracy of the button pressing responses to the target signal) definitely improved after the DBS was turned on. Positive correlations were demonstrated between the P300 amplitudes over the central and frontal regions and the optimal stimulation voltage and between the disease duration and P300 latencies over the Cz and Fz sites. In conclusion, our data indicate that DBS may have different impacts on various electrophysiological parameters during the oddball paradigm.

Uniform qualitative electrophysiological changes in postoperative rest tremor.

Ablation and deep brain stimulation (DBS) can treat pharmacologically uncontrollable tremor. Here, we compared the postoperative electrophysiological changes in resting hand tremor after 32 ablations and 12 DBS implantations in patients with severe tremor-dominant idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET). Short- and long-term accelerometric data were acquired after surgery and were compared to the preoperative tremor. After effective surgical treatments, significant rest tremor reduction and increase in both frequency and approximate entropy (ApEn) were detected in all PD cases, irrespective of the type and target of intervention. However, the long-term effect of DBS implantation on tremor reduction was significantly better compared to that after ablative treatments. In cases of thalamotomy, the postoperative increase in frequency and ApEn was significantly larger in essential tremor compared to PD, suggesting that the etiology of tremor may influence the size of the similar changes. However, cases where clinical tremor re-emerged 6 to 12 months after the surgery, no change in frequency and ApEn was detected on the second postoperative day, despite an initial tremor reduction and clinical improvement similar to the effective operations. Our results suggest that uniform postoperative changes in rest tremor and the increase in frequency and ApEn could be due to attenuation of pathological oscillators and might be immediate indicators of the effectiveness of neurosurgical treatments relieving tremor.

Two successful pregnancies following eight miscarriages in a patient with antithrombin deficiency.

Inherited thrombophilias are associated with an increased risk of maternal thromboembolism and certain adverse pregnancy outcomes, including second- and third-trimester fetal loss, placental abruption, severe intrauterine growth restriction, and early-onset, severe preeclampsia. Pregnant patients with severe thrombophilias, especially antithrombinopathies are at very high risk for both thromboembolism and adverse pregnancy outcomes. A case of a patient with antithrombin deficiency is reported, who had two successful pregnancies after eight miscarriages. Our case shows that a combined treatment with antithrombin substitution and a prophylactic, body-weight-adjusted dose of low-molecular-weight heparin may be successful in preventing pregnancy loss and thromboembolism in antithrombin deficiency during pregnancy, although other complications, such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction cannot always be prevented.

Membrane-targeting is critical for the phosphorylation of Vav2 by activated EGF receptor.

Vav2 is a member of the Vav family that serves as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) for the Rho family of Ras-related GTPases. Unlike Vav1, whose expression is restricted to cells of hematopoietic origin, Vav2 is broadly expressed. Recently, Vav2 has been identified as a substrate for the EGF receptor. Here, we show that in EGF-treated COS7 cells Vav2 is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and associates with the EGF receptor. In addition, introducing point mutations into the SH2 domain of green fluorescens protein (GFP)-Vav2 fusion protein leads to the loss of Vav2 tyrosine phosphorylation in response to EGF. To investigate further the mechanism of Vav2 phosphorylation, N-terminal (NT) domain of Vav2 was transiently expressed in COS7 cells as GFP fusion protein. Whereas the NT domain of Vav2 is a preferred substrate for the activated EGF receptor in vitro, we could not detect tyrosine phosphorylation of the GFP-NT construct in EGF-treated cells. However, when the SH2 domain of Vav2 was fused to its NT domain, NT domain proved to be a substrate for the EGF receptor in vivo. These data suggest that membrane-targeting of Vav2 through its SH2 domain is an important event in the phosphorylation and activation of Vav2 in response to EGF.

Calcium dobesilate lowers the blood pressure in mild to moderate midtrimester hypertension: a pilot study.

To test the effects of calcium dobesilate (Doxium) in pregnancies complicated with pregnancy-induced hypertension or mild/moderate pre-eclampsia a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study was carried out. Primigravida patients (gestational age

Changes of maternal serum leptin levels during pregnancy.

Maternal leptin levels in serum and urine, their relations to maternal weight and body mass index, were examined in 9 healthy pregnant women from the 12th week of gestation until term. Serum leptin concentration was found to increase progressively during the first two trimesters followed by a slight decline thereafter. The peak value of 27.6 +/- 15.3 ng/ml (mean +/- SD) concentration was reached at the 28th week. Serum leptin levels during the first two trimesters correlated significantly with maternal weight (p = 0.002) and body mass index (p = 0.002) but such a relationship was absent during the third trimester. Leptin could be detected only in about half of urine samples; its concentrations proved to be independent of serum values. No correlation was found between maternal serum leptin levels and the birth weight of neonates. Maternal leptin levels appear to refer to alterations in maternal fat tissue mass that occur during pregnancy.

Renal electrolyte and water handling in normal pregnancy: possible role of endothelin-1.

The study was carried out to determine the urinary excretion of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in normal pregnancy and to define its possible role in mediating the renal response to aldosterone and arginine vasopressin (AVP). Measurements were performed in 12 healthy pregnant women serially in the 20th, 24th, 28th, 32nd and 36th weeks of pregnancy. Urinary ET-1, plasma and urinary aldosterone and AVP levels (RIA methods) as well as plasma and urine sodium, potassium, creatinine and osmolality were measured; creatinine clearance (Ccr), osmolar clearance (Cosm) and free water clearance (CH2O) calculated. Fractional sodium excretion (FENa), urine sodium/potassium ratio (Na/K) and transtubular potassium concentration gradient (TTKG) were also determined. It was demonstrated that urinary ET-1 excretion was higher in pregnant than in non-pregnant women and it increased further as the pregnancy progressed from 34.8 +/- 4.0 pmol/day in week 20 to 44.1 +/- 3.2 pmol/day in week 36 (P < 0.01). Daily ET-1 excretion significantly correlated with AVP (r = 0.39, P < 0.005) and aldosterone excretion (r = 0.62, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, there was a significant positive relationship between ET-1 excretion and urine flow rate (r = 0.67, P < 0.0001), CCR (r = 0.40, P < 0.0025), Cosm (r = 0.58, P < 0.001), sodium (r = 0.56, P < 0.001) and potassium excretion (r = 0.42, P < 0.001). However, such a relationship could not be established between ET-1 excretion and FENa, TTKG and Na/K.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Maternal plasma fibronectin and neonatal birth weight.

Similar plasma fibrinoectin levels were found in nonpregnant volunteers and first or third trimester normal pregnant women, while in preeclamptics it was two times higher. The close relationship observed between maternal plasma fibronectin content and corrected fetal birth weight suggests that the state of microcirculation has a profound influence on neonatal birth weight.

[Prospective hemorheological study in the third pregnancy trimester]. / Prospectiv haemorheologiai vizsgálat a terhesség harmadik trimester ében.

The prospective hemorheological study was performed in the third trimester of pregnancy. Whole blood viscosity, haematocrit, plasma viscosity and haemoglobin were measured. They did not find significant changes of these parameters in healthy pregnancy. The rheological parameters in the macrosomic group (75%) were same than in the normal group at 37th weeks, but later were significantly higher. Higher blood viscosity has been found in those pregnant women, who delivered retarded fetuses. They suggest, that the progressively increasing blood viscosity in the third trimester of pregnancy causes the disturbances in the intervillous microcirculation, and produces intrauterine growth retardation.

Red cell deformability alterations in normal late pregnancy: possible role of plasma components.

Red cell deformability of 30 nonpregnant volunteers and 20 normal pregnant women in the 3rd trimester was assessed by determination of filterability of red cells suspended either in autologous plasma or in buffer by St. George's filtrometer method. Total red cell deformability was decreased in normal pregnancy [transit time (Tc) = 7.79 +/- 0.86 vs. 6.99 +/- 0.65, p less than 0.01] as compared to nonpregnant women when erythrocytes were studied in buffer suspensions, while the number of profoundly rigid red cells was lower in pregnant patients [clogging particles (CP) = 0.864 +/- 0.225 vs. 1.103 +/- 0.246, p less than 0.01]. Total red cell deformability was no longer reduced in pregnant women when erythrocytes were suspended in autologous plasma (Tc = 7.25 +/- 0.66 vs. 7.13 +/- 0.69, p = NS) while the number of rigid erythrocytes was still lower (CP = 0.802 +/- 0.157 vs. 1.055 +/- 0.210, p less than 0.01). Our data suggest that by the end of normal pregnancy, red cell deformability decreases with a consequent accelerated turnover and a fast elimination of very poorly deformable erythrocytes; plasma alterations in late pregnancy partly counteract the intrinsic loss of deformability of red blood cells.

Effects of the medium on the filterability of human red blood cells.

Red blood cell filterability as an appropriate method for evaluating red blood cell deformability was studied with different suspending media of erythrocytes. Comparison of autologous plasma and buffer suspensions of healthy subjects' erythrocytes showed no significant difference in filterability. Albumin alone resulted in a dose-dependent increase, while fibrinogen caused a decrease in red cell filterability. In the presence of fibrinogen, albumin showed controversial effects. The results suggest that measurements of red blood cells in their original surroundings give more accurate information about the microcirculation because plasma components may have a crucial influence on erythrocyte deformability.

Prevention of postmetrizamide myelographic seizures in dogs, using 5% dextrose solution.

Diuresis by IV administration of 5% dextrose in a balanced electrolyte solution (BES) reduced the frequency of occurrence of postmyelographic seizures in dogs. In the first study, a single myelogram was obtained in 8 dogs without dextrose diuresis. Two of these dogs weighed greater than 15 kg and both had seizures after metrizamide myelography. The remaining 6 dogs weighed less than 15 kg and only 2 had seizures. Greater body weight may have increased the risk of postmyelographic convulsions. In a crossover study, myelograms were obtained in 12 dogs weighing 20 to 31 kg. Six dogs were given 5% dextrose in BES (20 ml/kg of body weight/hr [diuresed]) and 6 were given BES alone (10 ml/kg/hr [not diuresed]). When myelography was repeated 10 days later, the 6 dogs that had been given 5% dextrose in BES were given BES only and the 6 dogs that had been given BES alone were given 5% dextrose in BES. The frequency of convulsions after metrizamide myelography was lower when dogs were given dextrose (33%) than when they were not (100%).

Canine and feline thyroid function assessment with the thyrotropin-releasing hormone response test.

A canine and feline pituitary-thyroid function test based on thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation of endogenous thyrotropin is described. Serum thyroxine is measured before and after stimulation with TRH. A positive response to TRH indicated a functionally intact pituitary-thyroid axis. At TRH doses of 0.002 to 10.0 mg/kg of body weight, dose response of serum thyroxine to TRH stimulation was determined. Increasing the dose of TRH increased the duration, but not the magnitude, of thyroxine stimulation. At TRH doses greater than 0.1 mg/kg, drug side effects were salivation, defecation, urination, vomition, miosis, tachycardia, and tachypnea. A useful procedure for pituitary-thyroid function testing was serum thyroxine measurement before and 6 hours after TRH (0.1 mg/kg) stimulation.