Competitive opportunities of region: perspective of determination

Complication of managerial problems in condition of intensification of interregional competition and influence on processes of globalization sets tasks before state and regional authorities in order to improve system of management, including mechanism’s search and methods of state regulation of territory, focused on its competitiveness. Regions of Ukraine are in need in modernization of system’s management of social and economic development, indicators of efficiency which are not quantitative indexes but qualitative ones in new developments’ conditions. The basis contains particular politics, directed to transformation of competitive potential of region into a factor of its stable development, providing a transition economic system into qualitatively new level of economic progress. There are actual investigations, which are connected with definition of structure and functions of competitive potential of territory, its influence on regional competitiveness

Competitive opportunities of region: perspective of determination

Complication of managerial problems in condition of intensification of interregional competition and influence on processes of globalization sets tasks before state and regional authorities in order to improve system of management, including mechanism’s search and methods of state regulation of territory, focused on its competitiveness. Regions of Ukraine are in need in modernization of system’s management of social and economic development, indicators of efficiency which are not quantitative indexes but qualitative ones in new developments’ conditions. The basis contains particular politics, directed to transformation of competitive potential of region into a factor of its stable development, providing a transition economic system into qualitatively new level of economic progress. There are actual investigations, which are connected with definition of structure and functions of competitive potential of territory, its influence on regional competitiveness

Different strategies for recovering metals from CARON process residue

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.03.048The capacity of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans DMS 11478 to recover the heavy metals contained in the residue obtained from the CARON process has been evaluated. Different bioreactor configurations were studied: a two-stage batch system and two semi-continuous systems (stirred-tank reactor leaching and column leaching). In the two-stage system, 46.8% Co, 36.0% Mg, 26.3% Mn and 22.3% Ni were solubilised after 6 h of contact between the residue and the bacteria-free bioacid. The results obtained with the stirred-tank reactor and the column were similar: 50% of the Mg and Co and 40% of the Mn and Ni were solubilised after thirty one days. The operation in the column reactor allowed the solid–liquid ratio to be increased and the pH to be kept at low values (<1.0). Recirculation of the leachate in the column had a positive effect on metal removal; at sixty five days (optimum time) the solubilisation levels were as follows: 86% Co, 83% Mg, 72% Mn and Ni, 62% Fe and 23% Cr. The results corroborate the feasibility of the systems studied for the leaching of metals from CARON process residue and these methodologies can be considered viable for the recovery of valuable metals

Perspectives for systems biology in the management of tuberculosis

Standardised management of tuberculosis may soon be replaced by individualised, precision medicine-guided therapies informed with knowledge provided by the field of systems biology. Systems biology is a rapidly expanding field of computational and mathematical analysis and modelling of complex biological systems that can provide insights into mechanisms underlying tuberculosis, identify novel biomarkers, and help to optimise prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. These advances are critically important in the context of the evolving epidemic of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Here, we review the available evidence on the role of systems biology approaches - human and mycobacterial genomics and transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics/metabolomics, immunophenotyping, systems pharmacology and gut microbiomes - in the management of tuberculosis including prediction of risk for disease progression, severity of mycobacterial virulence and drug resistance, adverse events, comorbidities, response to therapy and treatment outcomes. Application of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach demonstrated that at present most of the studies provide "very low" certainty of evidence for answering clinically relevant questions. Further studies in large prospective cohorts of patients, including randomised clinical trials, are necessary to assess the applicability of the findings in tuberculosis prevention and more efficient clinical management of patients.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Tuberculosis incidence in foreign-born people residing in European countries in 2020.

BackgroundEuropean-specific policies for tuberculosis (TB) elimination require identification of key populations that benefit from TB screening.AimWe aimed to identify groups of foreign-born individuals residing in European countries that benefit most from targeted TB prevention screening.MethodsThe Tuberculosis Network European Trials group collected, by cross-sectional survey, numbers of foreign-born TB patients residing in European Union (EU) countries, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK) in 2020 from the 10 highest ranked countries of origin in terms of TB cases in each country of residence. Tuberculosis incidence rates (IRs) in countries of residence were compared with countries of origin.ResultsData on 9,116 foreign-born TB patients in 30 countries of residence were collected. Main countries of origin were Eritrea, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Romania and Somalia. Tuberculosis IRs were highest in patients of Eritrean and Somali origin in Greece and Malta (both > 1,000/100,000) and lowest among Ukrainian patients in Poland (3.6/100,000). They were mainly lower in countries of residence than countries of origin. However, IRs among Eritreans and Somalis in Greece and Malta were five times higher than in Eritrea and Somalia. Similarly, IRs among Eritreans in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK were four times higher than in Eritrea.ConclusionsCountry of origin TB IR is an insufficient indicator when targeting foreign-born populations for active case finding or TB prevention policies in the countries covered here. Elimination strategies should be informed by regularly collected country-specific data to address rapidly changing epidemiology and associated risks

Reproducible diagnostic metabolites in plasma from typhoid fever patients in Asia and Africa.

Salmonella Typhi is the causative agent of typhoid. Typhoid is diagnosed by blood culture, a method that lacks sensitivity, portability and speed. We have previously shown that specific metabolomic profiles can be detected in the blood of typhoid patients from Nepal (Näsström et al., 2014). Here, we performed mass spectrometry on plasma from Bangladeshi and Senegalese patients with culture confirmed typhoid fever, clinically suspected typhoid, and other febrile diseases including malaria. After applying supervised pattern recognition modelling, we could significantly distinguish metabolite profiles in plasma from the culture confirmed typhoid patients. After comparing the direction of change and degree of multivariate significance, we identified 24 metabolites that were consistently up- or down regulated in a further Bangladeshi/Senegalese validation cohort, and the Nepali cohort from our previous work. We have identified and validated a metabolite panel that can distinguish typhoid from other febrile diseases, providing a new approach for typhoid diagnostics

Physiology and Genetics of Acidithiobacillus species : Applications for Biomining

Bacteria from the genus Acidithiobacillus are often associated with biominingand acid mine drainage. Biomining utilises acidophilic, sulphur and ironoxidising microorganisms for recovery of metals from sulphidic low grade oresand concentrates. Acid mine drainage results in acidification and contaminationwith metals of soil and water emanating from the dissolution of metal sulphidesfrom deposits and mine waste storage. Acidophilic microorganisms play acentral role in these processes by catalysing aerobic oxidation of sulphides.Acceleration of mineral solubilisation is a positive aspect in biomining whereas,in acid mine drainage it is undesirable and accordingly, microbial iron andsulphur oxidation is promoted in the first case and measures are taken to inhibitit in the second case. In this thesis, several approaches were taken in order tounderstand and increase oxidation efficiency in biomining and to gain an insightinto the biochemical reactions taking place in these environments. A laboratoryscale bioreactor was designed and tested allowing simulation of bioleaching inheaps of mine tailings at different aeration, irrigation and particle size conditions(Paper I). A new psychrotolerant strain of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans wascharacterised that has an application in boreal heap bioleaching. Iron, reducedinorganic sulphur compound oxidation and bioleaching of various ores by thisstrain was studied as well as gene expression during oxidation of tetrathionateand/or ferrous iron (Papers III &amp; IV). Expression and regulation of atetrathionate hydrolase from Acidithiobacillus caldus, a key enzyme in reducedinorganic sulphur compound metabolism of this bacterium was investigated andthe presence of this enzyme in a bioleaching mixed culture was shown. The genecluster that harbours the gene coding for tetrathionate hydrolase (tetH) wasdescribed for the first time (Paper II)