University of Pecs

The traditional air gun pellet is either spherical or diabolo type with a head followed by a narrow mid-section and a skirt. But apart from these traditional homogenous pellets, special ammunition is also available for air guns, including lead-free, dart-shaped, plastic-coated, and "explosive" pellets producing flash and loud bang upon impact. The scientific data on the penetration capability and terminal ballistic behavior of these pellets are very limited. The study aimed to determine and compare the ballistic gel and tissue penetration capabilities of different air gun ammunition. Ballistic gel and porcine skin penetration of eleven types of 4.5 mm diameter (.177) air gun pellets, including traditional diablo-type lead pellets, lead-free pellets, plastic-coated pellets, and ammunition with an "explosive" charge, were examined. The ballistic gel penetration depth was measured using a digital caliper. The porcine test targets underwent computer tomography (CT) examination and the traditional autopsy method. Histological analysis was performed of the entrance wound and wound track of "explosive" ammunition. The muzzle velocity ranged from 75.4 to 245.1 m/s, and the muzzle energy ranged from 2.5 to 8.5 J. The maximal gel penetration ranged from 26.0 to 117.8 mm, and the final projectile position ranged from 23.8 to 113.2 mm. Tissue penetration ranged from 8.5 mm to 102.2 mm, and full-thickness tissue penetration was achieved in 35 shots from 79. RESULTS: indicate large variations in muzzle energy in the case of non-traditional pellets, even if the same weapon is used. Penetration depth does not correlate strongly with muzzle speed in the case of non-traditional pellets, as the shape and type of pellet have a significant influence on penetration. Some non-traditional pellets may leave behind their plastic sheath in the tissues, which requires special attention since these are invisible on CT scans. Pellets with an "explosive charge" leave behind a blackish discoloration around the entrance wound and in the wound track, which is visually identifiable and also visualized in CT.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasing health and social problem worldwide with prevalent cholinergic cell involvement. To reveal the details of the exact mechanisms, further preclinical studies in animals are needed. Our aim was to create a mouse model that represents the progression of AD with easy cholinergic manipulation. The 3xTg-AD and ChAT-Cre strains were crossbred. After serial genotyping, a colony, homozygote for all four genes (PSEN1, APPSwe, tauP301L and Cre; 3xAD-ChAT-Cre) was established. The presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and phosphor-Tau (pTau) aggregates was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. To test the functionality of the Cre enzyme, a stimulating DREADD virus (AAV8-hSyn-DIO-hM3Dq-mCherry) was injected unilaterally into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis, and clozapine-N-oxide-induced c-Fos activation was compared between the two hemispheres. Behavioral characterization was performed using the Y-maze, social discrimination (SDT), single pellet reaching (SPR), fox odor (FOT), and splash tests (ST). Food, water consumption and body weight change were investigated. Immunostaining and RNAscope confirmed the expression of Cre in ChAT-positive cells and the progressive appearance of pathological hallmarks (Aβ and pTau). The c-Fos activity was significantly increased in the virus-injected hemisphere. Compared with control mice, 3xAD-ChAT-Cre mice showed decreased locomotion (Y-maze, SDT, FOT), increased anxiety (FOT, ST) and weaker fine motor skills (SPR). In conclusion, newly created animals have a functional Cre recombinase enzyme in cholinergic cells. Additionally, the animals presented the pathophysiological hallmarks of AD in specific brain areas and maintained the typical behavioral alterations previously reported in 3xTg-AD mice. Thus, this strain seems to be appropriate for further studies.

The treat-to-target (T2T) strategy, which involves predefined therapy objectives and a focused monitoring system, has substantially improved the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These benefits probably result from a reduction in undertreatment, prevention of overtreatment and thus an improvement in long-term outcomes for both articular manifestations and comorbidities. However, T2T has also revealed a subgroup of patients who, despite following guideline-based treatment, do not reach the predefined outcomes. This finding has led to the emerging concept of 'difficult-to-treat' (D2T) RA. D2T-RA might reflect true pharmacological refractoriness, but D2T-RA is also increasingly recognized as having broader underlying causes, including psychosocial distress, comorbidities, chronic pain syndromes and patient or system-related barriers. If these underlying factors remain unidentified, unnecessary treatment escalation can occur, which could worsen long-term outcomes. Although T2T focuses on predefined targets and regular monitoring, which works well for the majority of patients, the structured multidomain approach characteristic of the D2T framework might provide a guide for managing patients who do not reach these targets despite guideline-based care. For this population, the D2T approach could offer better stratification and serve as a practical, precision-medicine-oriented extension of T2T by providing a more mechanism-informed, personalized management strategy. Integrating this D2T perspective into T2T practices keeps the strengths of T2T while also offering individualized care for patients with more complex disease trajectories, representing an unmet need.

The OAE 1d is one of the oceanic anoxic events that punctuate the Cretaceous and represent Earth system-wide changes prominently captured by carbon isotope excursions (CIE). Although the positive CIE near the Albian/Cenomanian boundary (ACB) is known from multiple localities, many of these records disagree in the shape of the δ 13 C curve. Interpretations of OAE 1d and a broader ACB Event (ACBE) remain ambiguous, and their duration is insufficiently constrained. Here we present new analyses on high-resolution samples from Core Jásd-42. The >450 m thick Pénzeskút Marl Fm. provides an expanded record across the ACBE. We generated elemental and stable isotope geochemical data and used these time series for cyclostratigraphic analyses. The derived astrochronologic age model establishes a depositional duration of 4.4–4.83 Myr and is integrated with ammonite and planktonic foraminifera biostratigraphy. This high-resolution chemostratigraphy provides a new, calibrated record of OAE 1d and the ACBE that we correlate with other reference sections, including the GSSP. A minimum estimate of 1.23 Myr and 2.28 Myr is obtained for OAE 1d and the ACBE, respectively. For the latter, a minimum of 602 kyr is assigned to the rising limb, 748 kyr to the culminating interval, and 931 kyr to the falling limb in the δ 13 C carb curve. The δ 13 C record through OAE 1d appears orbitally controlled, where the positive peaks are paced by long eccentricity. Considering the differences between seasonality extremes, we suggest a model for depositional cyclicity in a synorogenic basin with a high sedimentation rate of 9–15 cm/kyr. • Expanded stratigraphic record of the Albian-Cenomanian transition from a core section • High-resolution C isotope stratigraphy of OAE 1d and the Albian-Cenomanian Boundary Event (ACBE) • Biostratigraphically anchored astrochronology from geochemical time-series spans 4.4–4.83 Myr • Calibrated, highly resolved record of OAE 1d and ACBE correlated with the GSSP and other sections • Model for depositional cyclicity in an Alpine synorogenic basin with high sedimentation rate

The efficacy of anti-CD20 therapies in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been recognized since 2008. Since then, three anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies - ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, and ublituximab - have been developed and approved for MS treatment, whereas rituximab, the first monoclonal antibody shown to be effective, remains an off-label therapy in this indication. Anti-CD20 antibodies deplete B cells primarily through two mechanisms: complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and natural killer (NK) cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The relative contribution of these mechanisms differs among individual antiCD20 antibodies. NK cell-mediated ADCC is modulated by the glycosylation state of the antibody Fc region as well as by genetic polymorphisms in FcγRIIIa, the Fc receptor on NK cells responsible for Fc binding. Fc engineering can enhance ADCC and partially overcome the functional consequences of FcγRIIIa polymorphisms. This article reviews the structure and mechanisms of action of immunoglobulins and anti-CD20 antibodies; outlines the development of antibody humanization and Fc engineering to enhance efficacy and tolerability; presents clinical data from ublituximab treatment; and discusses additional strategies for achieving effective B-cell depletion.

Post-mining surface uplift has affected the northeastern part of Pécs, Hungary, since the closure of underground coal mines in the 1990s. This study synthesises 30 years of SAR data (ERS, Envisat, and Sentinel-1) with geodetic surveys, groundwater monitoring, and over 900 residential damage reports to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of this deformation. In densely built urban environments, Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PS-InSAR) provides spatially detailed complementary data measurements to traditional levelling, particularly where survey lines offer limited coverage. The performed combined analysis tracked deformation from initial uplift through stabilisation, revealing a clear transition: while early lower-order measurements showed limited correlation, modern Sentinel-1 data and high-order geodetic surveys (post-2014) demonstrate a robust correlation (R = 0.65). The cross-correlation of InSAR results with geodetic and hydrogeological records revealed that aquifer recovery by the 2010s coincided with the onset of surface stability. While over 90% of 1990s residential damage claims fell within measured deformation zones, this relationship weakened over time, with recent claims showing little spatial connection with ground movements. This highlights the complementary strengths of InSAR and geodetic techniques. It demonstrates the value of integrating geotechnical and socio-economic datasets, providing a transferable framework for reliable deformation monitoring and risk management in post-mining urban environments.