Ecology and application of haloalkaliphilic anaerobic microbial communities

Haloalkaliphilic microorganisms that grow optimally at high-pH and high-salinity conditions can be found in natural environments such as soda lakes. These globally spread lakes harbour interesting anaerobic microorganisms that have the potential of being applied in existing technologies or create new opportunities. In this review, we discuss the potential application of haloalkaliphilic anaerobic microbial communities in the fermentation of lignocellulosic feedstocks material subjected to an alkaline pre-treatment, methane production and sulfur removal technology. Also, the general advantages of operation at haloalkaline conditions, such as low volatile fatty acid and sulfide toxicity, are addressed. Finally, an outlook into the main challenges like ammonia toxicity and lack of aggregation is provided.This work was performed in the TTIW- cooperation framework of Wetsus, European Centre of Excel- lence for Sustainable Water Technology (www.wetsus.nl). Wetsus is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the European Union Regional Development Fund, the Province of Fryslân, the City of Leeuwarden and the EZ/Kompas program of the“ Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland”. The authors would like to thank the participants of the research theme "Sulfur", namely Paqell, for fruitful discussions and financial suppor

Клинические аспекты диареи в пандемический период COVID-19

The aim. To investigate the clinical peculiarities of adult patients with diarrheal syndrome, associated with coronavirus infection COVID-19.The materials and methods. There has been carried out the analysis of 56 patients aged 26-81 years, hospitalized with acute enteric infection at the Municipal Infectious Diseases Hospital №8 (not reprofiled as hospital for the treatment of coronavirus infection COVID-19 patients) in the course of August 2020 – February 2021 and the patients with cause-effect relationship with COVID-19. There have been used the routine diagnostic methods, the analysis of feces for causative agents of diarrhea was tested by the methods of bacteriological and immunoenzymatic analysis, the analysis of feces for toxins A and B Clostridium difficile was tested method of immunochromatographic assay; the blood serum was tested by method of immunoenzymatic analysis and the analysis of nasopharyngeal swabs was tested by immunochromatographic assay and PCR test for markers SARS-COV-2. The statistical material treatment has been done using Statistical Package of IBM SPSS Statistics-22.The results. There have been registered 51,8% of cases – diarrhea as one of the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in adult patients (the first group of patients), in 48,2% of cases – diarrhea as a result of recently treated COVID-19 and a massive course of antibiotics (the second group of patients). In the second group 12 patients have been diagnosed with clostridial infection, 15 patients – with antibiotic-associated diarrhea. There has been registered the main severity of clinical manifestations in patients with clostridial infection. The disease being characterized by severity of colitis syndrome, the blood sedimentation rate increasing, hyperleukocytosis in haemogram, hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia. The aggravating factors are combined comorbidity and patients aged over 55 years.The conclusion. There should be used the differential approach for diarrheal syndrome in patients with coronavirus infection. Taking into account the massive course antibiotics’ side effects, the analysis of feces for pathogenic flora must be included into the medical examinations such as Clostridium difficile and the course of probiotic and anticlostridial medicines should be done.Цель. Изучить клинические особенности диарейного синдрома у взрослых больных, связанного с коронавирусной инфекцией COVID-19.Материалы и методы. Проведен анализ медицинских карт 56 больных в возрасте 26–81 лет, госпитализированных по поводу острой кишечной инфекции в Городскую клиническую инфекционную больницу № 8 (не перепрофилирована под госпиталь для лечения больных с COVID-19) за август 2020 г. – февраль 2021 г. и имеющих причинно-следственную связь с COVID-19. Применяли рутинные методы диагностики, бактериологическое и ИФА-исследование кала на возбудителей диареи, ИХА на содержание токсинов А и В Clostridium difficile; исследование сыворотки крови методом ИФА и носоглоточных мазков методами ИХА и ПЦР на маркеры SARS-COV-2. Статистическую обработку проводили с использованием лицензионного статистического пакета IBM SPSS Statistics-22.Результаты. Установлено, что в период пандемии COVID-19 у взрослых больных в 51,8% случаев диарея была одним из клинических проявлений COVID-19 (группа 1), в 48,2% развилась после перенесенного заболевания COVID-19 и массивной антибиотикотерапии (группа 2). В группе 2 у 12 пациентов диагностирована клостридиальная инфекция, у 15 – антибиотик-ассоциированная диарея. Наибольшая тяжесть клинических проявлений регистрировалась при клостридиальной инфекции. Заболевание характеризовалось большей выраженностью колитического синдрома, значительным ускорением СОЭ, гиперлейкоцитозом в гемограмме, гипопротеинемией и гипоальбуминемией. Отягощающими факторами явились сочетанная коморбидная патология и возраст старше 55 лет.Заключение. Следует дифференцированно подходить к оценке диарейного синдрома у больных с ковидом. Учитывая побочные эффекты массивной антибактериальной терапии, в комплекс обследования необходимо включать исследование кала на патогенную флору, в том числе Clostridium difficile, и проводить коррекцию терапии с применением пробиотических и антиклостридиальных препаратов

Intercultural Communication in the Cultural Dimension

The article deals with the problem of intercultural communication as an autonomous phenomenon in culture. In the analysis of the terminological instability of the definition of this phenomenon, the structuring of its ontological characteristics is proposed. Intercultural communication is defined in the characteristics of the communicative subject. The role of intercultural communications in the symbolic world of human existence is proved. Keywords: subject, culture, intercultural communication, language, myth, art, religio