Hungarian Academy Of Sciences Research Articles

Astronomical causes of climate change. Milanković–Bacsák cycle and the last ice age

György Bacsák, a Hungarian polyhistor, was born 150 years ago and died 50 years ago. He played an important role in refining and further developing the Milanković cycle. Milanković's theory describes the effect of changes in Earth's movements on the climate. The theory came from its creator, Milutin Milanković, a Serbian geophysicist and astronomer. The Serbian scientist was imprisoned in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy during World War I as a citizen of a hostile state. He developed his theory in the library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Understanding the essence of the theory, György Bacsák enjoyed the theoretical support of Milanković in the form of regular correspondence between 1938 and 1955. In total, György Bacsák wrote 56 letters to Milutin Milanković, while the Serbian scholar wrote 10 letters, all of which can be found in the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The language of the letters was German, since both Bacsák and Milanković spoke German fluently. Three articles from György Bacsák, from the year 1940, were published in the Magazine “Weather” and a part of his book “Earth’s history of the last 600,000 years” was published in 1944 both of them were based on this letter exchange.

Report of the conference "Connecting Tamás Varga’s Legacy and Current Research in Mathematics Education"

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian mathematics educator, didactician and reform leader Tamás Varga, a conference on mathematics education has been organized in November 2019 and held at the Hungarian Academy of Science.

Comparison of various instantaneous pulmonary arterial wedge pressure measurements with prognostic validation

Abstract Background Current recommendations on the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD) emphasize the need for standardization of pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP) measurement. Instead of mean PAWP values instantaneous mid-A wave pressures or, in case of atrial fibrillation (AF), measurement 130–160 ms after the QRS onset is recommended. Recently, PAWP at the QRS onset has also been proposed. Our aim was to compare the various instantaneous PAWP measurements and assess the prognostic value of the derived diastolic pressure gradients (DPG) in heart failure (HF) patients. Methods and results PAWP and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) tracings of 116 patients with PH-LHD were manually analyzed offline. PAWP was measured in 4 different ways: 1. mean value [PAWPM]; 2.mid-A wave value in sinus, and at 10 ms intervals 130–160 ms following QRS onset in AF [PAWPR]; 3. at the onset of the QRS complex [PAWPQRS]; 4. pre C-wave point value [PAWPC]. The pre C-wave point was chosen as a reference for truly end-diastolic pressures. The corresponding DPGM, DPGR, DPGQRS and DPGC were calculated. The patients were followed for 17 (8–27) months and the prognostic value of the various DPG measurements for predicting all-cause mortality was assessed. The pre C-wave point was identifiable in 35 patients (30%); on average it occurred 171 ms after the QRS-onset whereas the A wave-onset and A-wave peak happened on average 62 and 149 ms after the QRS-onset, respectively. All three instantaneous PAWP measurements gave significantly lower values than PAWPM [19.3 (15.4–25.0)]. PAWPR did not differ from PAWPC [18.1 mmHg (14–22) vs. 19.2 mmHg (13–22.8), p=0.9], whereas PAWPQRS was lower [15.8 mmHg (12.2–19.9), p<0.001]. Accordingly, all instantaneous DPG measurements were higher than DPGM, yielding lower prevalence of negative DPG (29%, 17% and 45%, for DPGR, DPGQRS and DPGM, respectively). In AF (n=30), DPGR values at 130–140–150–160 ms demonstrated increasing scatter and progressively overestimated DPGQRS. For prognostic assessment, in case of both DPGQRS and DPGR, 6 mmHg was identified as a best cut-off value for predicting all-cause mortality, at which both indices provided superior prognostic information than DPGM [DPGR: HR 2.7; CI 1.1–6.9, p=0.029; DPGQRS: HR 2.6; CI 1.1–6.4, p=0.037, high-risk cases 17 for both; DPGM: HR 2.8; CI 1.0–7.6, p=0.045, high-risk cases 10]. Conclusions PAWP measured at the mid-A wave provides a reliable assessment of the end-diastolic PAWP in sinus rhythm. On the other hand, ECG-gated measurements yield more robust evaluation of PAWP in AF. Finally, both approaches carry significant and similar prognostic information in PH-LHD. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): AIN was supported by the János Bolyai Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Kitan szavak listája Ligeti Lajos MTA-ra hagyott jegyzeteiben

The late Professor Louis Ligeti was one of the most influential scholars of the 20th century in the fields of Altaic historical linguistics and many others. Ligeti’s personal scholarly notes, according to the provisions of his will, were deposited in the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) and were not released for 40 years. In 2018 a special research team of the HAS of Linguistics and Literary Scholarship Section was established to process the contents of the more than 70 large cardboard boxes. This study introduces a segment of his notes on deciphering the Khitan language, dealing with numerals, and offers insights into the current opinion of scholars whenever it varies from Ligeti’s. Minor corrections to the readings of Khitan ‘one’ as well as to the name of the ‘Old(er) Khitan State’ are also suggested.

After One Hundred Years: The “Trianon 100” Research Group of the Momentum Program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

After One Hundred Years: The “Trianon 100” Research Group of the Momentum Program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Narrative Child Protection in Hungary. The Importance of Knowing the History of the Families in Need in the Social Work with Children

Abstract The study is reflecting on the nature and features of social work with families with children, attempting to discuss social work as assistance and apprehension and to detect whether there is any causal link between the efficiency of social work and the narrative approach and the “unstoried”, “faceless” condition of the families. We argue that professional attitude aimed at providing child protection support is not possible without knowing the story of families with children. Without a helping attitude, no real social work is possible, and thus the client remains invisible and faceless in the process of child welfare or child protection interventions. Besides the actual situations of story-based intervention in social work (micro level), narrativity is also important for the transparent and adequate functioning of the system (mezzo level); moreover, it can become a factor of paradigm shift in social and political discourse on social work and its target groups (macro level). The study is based on the research entitled Child Protection Trends Supporting Children’s Well-Being carried out within the Research Scholarship granted by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2017–2020). The research focused on the family concept of child protection professionals and their views of the clients that can be deducted from this concept. The research also examines the notion and functions of the family from the viewpoint of children, young people and their parents as well as the professional attitudes and interventions determined by these perceptions. Research results show that due to the diversity and complexity of the problems of families in the purview of the child protection system one cannot reflect on professional solutions along types of problems. Successful functioning and efficient child protection rely rather on revealing individual and specific needs. All this indicates that child welfare and child protection work is possible only if built on personal stories.

Kelet és Nyugat között. Államhatárok, úti okmányok, határátlépés Magyarországon és Csehszlovákiában (1946–1989)

Az MTA Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont Történettudományi Intézet színvonalas kiadványsorozatában jelent meg 2019-ben Bencsik Péter határrendészetet is érintő kötete. Az egységes kinézetű, egyszerű, ugyanakkor rendkívül gusztusos (amennyiben könyvről ilyen jelzőt szabad leírni) megjelenésű könyv illik a sorozatba. Ugyanaz a kellemes szürkés borító, az igényes keménytáblás védelem és az elmaradhatatlan három kis képecske teszi vonzóvá és a sorozatot gyűjtők számára keresetté az új kiadványt. A könyv találóan a Kelet és Nyugat között. Államhatárok, úti okmányok, határátlépés Magyarországon és Csehszlovákiában (1945–1989) címet kapta. Ami a rendészeti területen dolgozókat először megfogja a könyv kézbevételekor az a könyv borítóját színesítő (bár fekete-fehér) kis képek, amelyek egy-egy életképet mutatnak be az egykori magyar-csehszlovák határviszonylatban végrehajtott határforgalom-ellenőrzésekhez kapcsolódóan.

Narrating eros and agape

Abstract Fin-de-Siècle A Hungarian version of the present paper was published as “Erósz és Agapé: Erotextus Edward Prime-Stevenson Imre: Egy emlékirat című regényének expozíciójában” (2019) in Literatura affiliated with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Supported by the ÚNKP-19-3 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology.” gay literature in English operated with a double narrative: one narrative offers a historical (and “innocent”) reading available to general readership; the other offers a personal (often illicit) reading available to the susceptible and initiated readers only. The double narrative, thus, allowed authors to give subtle visibility to same-sex desire in their works that would evade censorship. This paper argues that there is a similar double narrative in the exposition of Imre: A Memorandum by the American music critic and émigré writer Edward Prime-Stevenson. The double narrative of the novel, however, differs from that of prior gay literature. I argue that Prime-Stevenson thought it was a literary sin that prior gay literature offered a sensual, erotic, or even pornographic, subversive secondary reading to susceptible readers. In my reading, Prime-Stevenson consciously planted cues in the exposition of the novel, thus, created an erotext to trigger a similar subversive and illicit reading of his text. However, Prime-Stevenson used this technique to demonstrate that purely erotic literary representations denigrate same-sex desire; therefore, in what followed, he presented a different, agapeic view on same-sex desire. The paper substantiates that Prime-Stevenson’s intention was to break away from earlier narrative “traditions” of gay literature to offer a naturalised and legitimised representation and “script” of “homosexuality” per se. Prime-Stevenson did so in a crucial period of time, as the term “homosexual” just barely entered the English language and its pejorative connotations may not have been set in stone. The paper, as a result, casts a new complexion on sexuality as a literary phenomenon and the relevance of a complex narrative structure composed of “snares” and “false snares” in the exposition of Imre, which plays a crucial role in Prime-Stevenson authoring one of the very first openly homosexual novels in English, which has a happy ending.

Methodology of Teaching the First Control Course

System view, understanding systems and how they are controlled is an important discipline in engineering education. Nowadays considering the ever increasing knowledge, the explosion of information available at the internet, the available visual technics and software tools there is a need to revisit the content and the teaching methodology of the first control course. The IFAC Technical Committee on Control Education (9.4) is circulating a pilot survey addressing these questions. Here we present our experience related to renewing the control course. The topics of the course are given. The main ideas are explained on two levels: hopefully in an understandable way for everyone, and precisely, using mathematical tools. In the lectures some parts of the multilevel e-book, Sysbook are referred, which has been elaborated to present the main principles governing systems and control on different levels. Besides static teaching materials interactive demonstrations developed for Sysbook are also used in the lectures which enhance the effectiveness and also enjoyment of the learning process. At the last part of each lecture the students are active solving problems related to the topic of the lecture. They are motivated by the obtained extra evaluation points. Then the solutions of the problems are discussed. Computer laboratory exercises using MATLAB/SIMULINK software contribute to understanding and applying the analysis and synthesis methods discussed in the lectures. The course is supported by the recently published Springer books: Keviczky et al.: Control Engineering and Control Engineering: MATLAB Exercises. In the content of the control course a new feature is the emphasis of the YOULA parameterization method for controller design already in the first control course and showing that other controller design methods can be considered as its special cases. Nowadays in education a new teaching – learning paradigm is Open Content Development (OCD) which means active participation of the teachers and students creating an up-to-date teaching material. This project runs at the Department of Technical Education at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics since 2015 supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In the frame of vocational teacher training programs several so-called micro-contents have been developed. Utilizing the experiences of these pilot efforts the Sysbook platform has been connected to the OCD model. In a special surface Sysbook provides several case studies for systems and their control (e.g. driving, energy production and distribution, oil refinery, systems and control in the living organism, etc.). Teachers and students studying systems and control can elaborate new case studies in their areas of interest which means active application of the learned topics. After evaluation these projects can be uploaded in the student area of Sysbook. Summarizing: in the methodology of teaching a basic control course the motivation of the students can be increased by active participation in the learning process, including interactive demonstration of the principles, solving exercises at the end of the lectures and getting immediate feedback, solving analysis and synthesis problems in the computer laboratories, and developing their own case studies for Sysbook. It should be also emphasized that the examples of systems and their control should be chosen mainly from the area of the specialization of the students (electrical or software engineering, chemical engineering, biology, economics, etc.). Also it is important to provide real-time experiments in laboratory work or using distant laboratories. IFAC Repository would be also of great help reaching useful resources.

Fortuna e traduzione delle opere letterarie italiane in Ungheria

La critica letteraria, sia in Ungheria che in Italia, ha prestato grande attenzione alla fortuna e all'irradiazione della letteratura italiana in Ungheria, basti pensare ai tredici volumi, frutto della collaborazione scientifica della Fondazione Giorgi Cini di Venezia e dell'Accademia ungherese delle scienze. L'articolo mira a offrire un'ampia panoramica del successo della letteratura italiana in Ungheria, soprattutto attraverso le traduzioni. L'articolo esamina i vari periodi storici e i movimenti letterari che hanno caratterizzato i contatti letterari tra i due paesi. Fino alla seconda metà del XVIII secolo, l'irradiazione della letteratura italiana si manifestava innanzitutto nell'adozione dei suoi modelli letterari e delle sue formule poetiche nelle opere dei maggiori autori della letteratura ungherese. Il diciannovesimo secolo vide invece la stagione della traduzione dei grandi classici della prima letteratura italiana (Dante, Petrarca e Boccaccio) tradotti di nuovo nel ventesimo secolo, grazie anche all'impegno degli italiani magiari. Infine, l'articolo si concentra sulla situazione attuale, descrivendo le traduzioni di autori contemporanei.

212Bi-212Po alpha source for the calibration and functional testing of silicon detectors: Preparation and characterisation

Silicon detectors are widely used in space radiation dosimeter systems for measuring energetic charged particles. Calibration of such systems is usually performed with protons and heavier ions in high energy particle accelerators. For preliminary energy calibration and functional testing of silicon detectors, at any time during the development, an equipment producing a thin 212Bi-212Po alpha particle emitting source was designed and constructed. Our aim was to develop an alpha source with negligible self-shielding and short life-time in order to prevent the long-term contamination of the detectors with alpha particle emitting nuclides. In the present paper, a description of the method chosen, and the equipment developed are given. Estimates of the activity of the source produced was obtained from measurements with the RADTEL space radiation telescope under development in the Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA EK). It was also used to verify that the alpha particle emitting source is suitable for the preliminary calibration and functional testing of silicon detector systems.

Higher Education in Crisis? An Institutional Ethnography of an International University in Hungary

Aim/Purpose: Our goal is to provide understanding of if and how the institutional factors found to contribute to a chilly climate are experienced in an international setting and provide a broader understanding of the discourses that create challenges for marginalized and underrepresented groups in STEM. Background: In August 2018 the Hungarian government stopped funding gender studies program and took direct control of funding at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in order to focus “taxpayer money on areas that can generate a payoff for society” (Witte, 2018). Methodology: Data collection and analysis focused on how the interface between students and mathematics education was organized as a matter of the everyday encounters between students and faculty and administration by exploring their experiences inside and outside of the classroom. Contribution: There is little in the scholarly literature on how the recent threats and policy changes by the Hungarian government will impact Hungarian higher education; as such, this research has the potential to be a significant and leading contribution to the field by critically examining how ongoing changes to higher education policy, practices, and procedures in Hungary impacts the educational environment for students seeking a graduate degree in Hungary. Findings: Although students and faculty at IU were aware of the political discourses surrounding higher education in Hungary, they largely felt that their work as mathematicians was not largely impacted by threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Instead, these findings suggest that many of the same discourses that coordinate the work of STEM students in higher education persisted to create similar challenges for IU mathematics students. Recommendations for Practitioners: The first step toward improving the chilly climate in STEM fields requires revising the STEM institution from one that is masculine to one that is inclusive for all students with the goal of creating a STEM education environment that supports, validates, and gives students an equal voice. Recommendation for Researchers: Subsequent inquiries guided by this work can extend to additional institutional environments in Hungary and in other authoritarian countries where academic freedom and institutional autonomy are challenged in order to understand how political reform and institutional factors play a role in creating challenges for students from underrepresented groups. Impact on Society: By providing an international perspective, we can explore trends in institutional factors in order to make recommendations that mitigate or reverse the traditional competitive and intimidating STEM classroom environment. Future Research: Future inquiries can explore discourses that contribute to the chilly climate in STEM with an international perspective, to explore if these discourses are consistent across different types of universities around the world.

A bűnügyi tudományok és az informatika

Az informatikai környezetben elkövethető bűncselekményeket nehéz kimerítően felsorolni, hiszen a Büntető Törvénykönyv tényállásainak jelentős része megvalósítható az új technológiai eszközök segítségével. Színes és szerteágazó területről beszélünk, amely mind a gyakorlati szakemberek, mind a témával foglalkozó kutatók részéről is egy új szemléletet kíván. Az MTA Társadalomtudományi Kutatóközpontjának munkatársa, Mezei Kitti által szerkesztett kötet nem kisebb feladatra vállalkozik, mint hogy interdiszciplináris jelleggel mutassa be a technológiai fejlődés hatását a bűnügyi tudományokra. A tanulmánykötet számos területről, így a büntető anyagi és eljárásjogi, a kriminalisztika, a kriminológia és a rendészettudomány köréből is tartalmaz írásokat. A gondos szelekció révén nyújt betekintést azokba a sokszor ma még science fiction-nek tűnő problémákba, amelyek hatásait inkább előbb, mint utóbb Magyarországon is érezhetjük majd.

Investigation of aerosol pollution inside trams in Debrecen, Hungary

Fine (PMfine) and coarse (PMcoarse) particulate matter concentrations and elemental compositions were investigated inside trams during travelling in heating and non-heating seasons. New CAF and older KCSV tramcars were involved in the study. The results obtained for the trams were compared with the outside air quality measured at a nearby urban background site. The coarse (particles with aerodynamic diameter larger than 2.5 µm) and the fine (particles with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm) mass concentrations were determined by gravimetric method. The elemental analysis of the collected samples was carried out by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method at the Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA-Atomki) Debrecen, Hungary. The mass concentrations inside the vehicles were 5–20 times higher than in the outdoor air. The elemental composition was similar inside the trams and outdoors in both size fractions. However, some elements (Cr, Zn, Cu) were enriched in the trams and could be derived from outdoor sources such as the re-suspended dust, the rail abrasion, the abrasion of the overhead wire. According to the results the new CAF tram type was less polluted than the old KCSV one.

P5659Atrial fibrillation causes cognitive impairment-which cognitive domains are affected?

Abstract Introduction Hypertension is an important modifiable risk factor related to cognitive dysfunction. Data suggest that atrial fibrillation (AF) is also associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, independent of stroke history. Few studies focus on the effect of AF on specific cognitive domains. Purpose We aimed in this study to investigate the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation and to evaluate the impact of atrial fibrillation on the affected cognitive domains. Methods In the present paper, we included 488 consecutive hypertensive patients admitted to a Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Clinic aged between 37–93 years (mean age: 68±10 years; 51.84% female; 48.15% male). Diagnosis of AF was based on 12 lead ECG. All types of AF (paroxysmal, persistent and permanent) were included. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in our sample was 23.77% (n=116), on admission mean heart rate was 76±16 bpm and mean blood pressure 137/82 mmHg (±19/11 mmHg). After routine clinical assessment all participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test used for the detection of mild cognitive impairment. Depression as a confounding factor on cognitive performances was detected with the shortened 13 items form of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13). We compared MoCA scores of the group of patients with atrial fibrillation with scores from the group in sinus rhythm. Statistical analysis was performed with the IBM SPSS v.20 program. Results Impairment in cognitive functions was revealed among hypertensive patients in sinus rhythm vs. with atrial fibrillation according to MoCA in 66.1% (n=246) vs. 81.9% (n=95). Cognitive scores were significantly lower in the atrial fibrillation group vs. patients in sinus rhythm: MoCA: 21.74 vs. 22.97 (p=0.016). The prevalence of depression in the two groups was not statistically different, AF 52.58% vs. 55.34% patients in sinus rhythm (p=0.89). Analysing MoCA's cognitive domains, patients with atrial fibrillation had significantly lower scores in visuospatial/executive (3.09 vs. 3.52 p=0.005), language (1.59 vs. 1.85 p=0.019) and abstraction (1.18 vs. 1.41 p=0.005) domains. Conclusions The prevalence of cognitive impairment is higher in patients with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation may have an impact on the most complex cognitive functions as visuospatial/executive, language and abstraction. Acknowledgement/Funding Funding for the study was provided by the Hungarian Academy of Science, contract nr. 0346/26.02.2016.

Women’s Industrial Labor in Hungary

This study is a part of the RE-WORK research project at the Centre for Social Science of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and it contributes to the initiative to create a social history overview of Hungarian industrial labor since the last decades of the nineteenth century. Women workers in Hungary have been part of the labor force ever since the beginning of industrialization, and yet they have mostly formed a distinct and in certain ways segregated group of industrial laborers. Based on statistical data, a review of secondary literature, and pointing at some original sources, the study provides an overview of the main characteristics and the tendencies as well as the most relevant features of women’s employment in industry in Hungary.

A Bibliometric Profile of Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica: 2005-2018

Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica (AMIH) is a quarterly publication, which was founded by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), devoted to publishing manuscripts in all fields of medical microbiology, immunology and studies regarding the human microbiome. Bibliometrics is an area of science, which is concerned with the qualitative and quantitative assessment of research, that is often used to evaluate the impact of journals, institutions, study groups or individual scientists. The aim of this study is present a general overview of AMIH from 2005 to 2018 using bibliometric indicators. The data analyzed in this study, dating between 2005 and 2018 was extracted from the Scopus database. The information was exported in RIS file format to the Harzing’s Publish or Perish 6.44 software for data analysis. In addition, VOSviewer 1.6.9 software was used to generate the collaboration and word co-occurrence networks. The total number of documents published in AMIH during the study period (2005-2018) was 464, and these articles were cited 2384 times overall, averaging 5.14 citations per each paper. The average ratio of collaborative papers was 18.13%. The average ratio of self-citations for AMIH was around 10%, which could be considered a good result compared to some international publications. Acta Microbiologica et Immunologica Hungarica manages to reach a wide audience of the Hungarian scientific community of researchers interested in its content. The submission of additional articles from a wider audience would strengthen the international reach and scientific impact of AMIH.

Size‐Exclusion Borane‐Catalyzed Domino 1,3‐Allylic/Reductive Ireland–Claisen Rearrangements: Impact of the Electronic and Structural Parameters on the 1,3‐Allylic Shift Aptitude

AbstractInvited for the cover of this issue is the group of Tibor Soós at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The image depicts a metaphorical representation of the catalytic cycles and the size‐exclusion concept of the reported metal‐free, one‐pot reductive Ireland–Claisen rearrangement. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201805208.

The Technical Contributions of Imre Rudas: A Strong Leader in the IEEE Community

Imre J. Rudas (Figure 1) graduated in mechanical engineering from Banki Donat Polytechnic, Budapest, Hungary, in 1971. He earned his master's degree in mathematics from E?tv?s Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary, his Ph.D. degree in robotics from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1987, and his doctor of science degree from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2004. Prof. Rudas received his doctor honoris causa degree from the Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia, from Polytechnica University of Timisoara, Romania, from Obuda University, Budapest, Hungary, and from Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava. He was named an honorary professor in 2013 and ambassador in 2015 by Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland.

Brains Are Not Computers: Celebrating the Achievements of Robert Kozma

In this article, we provide an overview of Dr. Robert Kozma's accomplishments, based on essays by leading experts in various areas related to his research, covering mathematical, computational, and cognitive aspects of his neurodynamics modeling and applications in biologically inspired autonomous systems and robotics. Specific contributions are given by Dr. Miklos Ruszinko (the Renyi Institute of Mathematics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences) on mathematical and graph theoretical aspects of brain modeling, detailing Dr. Kozma's work, which is now known as neuropercolation. This is followed by recollections from Dr. Roman Ilin [U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB)], a former student of Dr. Kozma's, on computational models of spatiotemporal neurodynamics, and the work Dr. Kozma has made jointly with the late, world-renowned Prof. Walter J. Freeman [University of California (UC), Berkeley] and his students in a field now called Freeman K Katchalsky-sets. Dr. Edward Tunstel [the United Technologies Robotics Center (UTRC), East Hartford, Connecticut] provides an overview of biologically inspired robotics and several unique applications Dr. Kozma has made in this field together with colleagues from NASA Robotics. Dr. Bernard Baars (Society of Brain-Mind Sciences, La Jolla, California) contributes a cognitive scientist?s perspective on Dr. Kozma's work with an emphasis on implications of understanding and modeling consciousness. We believe this multiperspective overview provides an insight into the truly interdisciplinary character of Dr. Kozma's remarkable research achievements.