Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Ukraine, 2017-2022.

In 2021, the World Health Organization recommended new extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and pre-XDR tuberculosis (TB) definitions. In a recent cohort of TB patients in Eastern Europe, we show that XDR TB as currently defined is associated with exceptionally poor treatment outcomes, considerably worse than for the former definition (31% vs. 54% treatment success).

Menopausal Status Impact on the Quality of Life in Kazakhstani Healthcare Workers: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Menopausal quality of life (MenQoL) is a common concern that primary healthcare workers often encounter. Menopause has a significant impact on women's health, but studies examining its effect on the MenQoL of menopausal healthcare employees have produced conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life related to menopausal status (pre-, peri-, or postmenopausal) in healthcare workers from various clinical settings in Kazakhstan. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 222 menopausal healthcare workers (physicians, nurses/midwives, administrative staff, and cleaners) were enrolled from hospitals affiliated with the University Medical Center (UMC) in Kazakhstan. MAIN MEASURES: The outcome variable was assessed using the Menopausal Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL), which evaluates MenQoL across four domains of menopausal symptoms: physical, psychological, vasomotor, and sexual. KEY RESULTS: The most frequently reported menopausal symptoms were physical ones, such as feeling tired or worn out (70.7%), followed by feeling a lack of energy (65.3%) and dry skin (64.1%). The postmenopause group had the highest mean MenQoL score in the vasomotor domain (mean 3.46 ± 1.84). There was a borderline statistical significance when comparing postmenopause and perimenopause groups in the physical domain. The pairwise comparison of mean sexual scores revealed that postmenopause women had the highest average score (3.3 ± 2.36) compared to both premenopause (mean 2.3 ± 1.82) and perimenopause (mean 2.22 ± 1.58) groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Menopausal status has influence on the MenQoL of healthcare workers. The study findings could have important implications for policymakers as they provide insight into the factors influencing the quality of life of menopausal healthcare employees. Creating a more menopause-friendly work environment may not only enhance the well-being of healthcare personnel but also improve their overall job satisfaction and performance.

Polycladomyces zharkentensis sp. nov., a novel thermophilic cellulose- and starch-degrading member of the Bacillota from a geothermal aquifer in Kazakhstan.

A thermophilic, aerobic and heterotrophic filamentous bacterium, designated strain ZKZ2T, was isolated from a pipeline producing hydrothermal water originating from a >2.3 km deep subsurface geothermal source in Zharkent, Almaty region, Kazakhstan. The isolate was Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, heat-resistant and capable of producing a variety of extracellular hydrolases. Growth occurred at temperatures between 55 and 75 °C, with an optimum around 70 °C, and at pH values between 5.5 and 9.0, with an optimum at pH 7.0-7.5 with the formation of aerial mycelia; endospores were produced along the aerial mycelium. The isolate was able to utilize the following substrates for growth: glycerol, l-arabinose, ribose, d-xylose, d-glucose, d-fructose, d-mannose, rhamnose, d-mannitol, methyl-d-glucopyranoside, aesculin, salicin, cellobiose, maltose, melibiose, sucrose, trehalose, melezitose, raffinose, starch, turanose and 5-keto-gluconate. Furthermore, it was able to hydrolyse carboxymethylcellulose, starch, skimmed milk, Tween 60 and Tween 80. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C16 : 0. Our 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed ZKZ2T within the genus Polycladomyces, family Thermoactinomycetaceae, with the highest similarity to the type species Polycladomyces abyssicola JIR-001T (99.18 % sequence identity). Our draft genome sequence analysis revealed a genome size of 3.3 Mbp with a G+C value of 52.5 mol%. The orthologous average nucleotide identity value as compared to that of its closest relative, P. abyssicola JIR-001T, was 90.23 %, with an in silico DNA-DNA hybridization value of 40.7 %, indicating that ZKZ2T represents a separate genome species. Based on the phenotypic and genome sequence differences from the other two Polycladomyces species, we propose that strain ZKZ2T represents a novel species, for which we propose the name Polycladomyces zharkentensis sp. nov. The type strain is ZKZ2T (=CECT 30708T=KCTC 43421T).

Predictors associated with night sleep disturbance among breastfeeding women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of somnological disorders among Kazakhstani women who breastfeed and to assess the association of this phenomenon with some medical and social characteristics. METHODS: The authors used the standardized questionnaire of A.M. Vein and Y.I. Levin to assess nocturnal sleep among 1101 breastfeeding women in the Republic of Kazakhstan, applied Pearson's chi-square test to study the correlation between sleep disturbances and duration of breastfeeding, and multiple logistic regression to assess the influence of various medical and social factors on somnological disorders. Data collection occurred in February 2023. RESULTS: On average, 80% of breastfeeding women (ranging from 79% to 85.9%) experienced some form of nocturnal sleep disorders, with no significant association found between these disorders and breastfeeding duration (p = 0.234), while urban residence, history of operative delivery, child's health issues, and low satisfaction levels with various aspects were associated with over twofold increased odds of experiencing sleep disorders (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The elevated prevalence of nocturnal sleep disorders among breastfeeding Kazakhstani women serves as a risk indicator for adverse health outcomes, with predictors including place of residence, obstetric complications, child health issues, and satisfaction levels with social conditions and personal expression opportunities.

Serum calcium and magnesium levels and quality of life in environmentally exposed populations in Kazakhstan.

The relationship between the levels of essential elements and various aspects of well-being in environmentally exposed populations still needs to be better understood. The present study aims to investigate the potential connections between serum concentrations of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and quality of life (QoL) in environmentally exposed populations in Kazakhstan. The present study involved 1881 nominally healthy individuals aged 18-52 years who were permanent residents of Abay, Borodulikha, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kurchum, Uralsk, Aksay, and Berezovka settlements. These settlements were selected to represent different types of environmental exposure: radioactive fallout from the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS), non-ferrous metallurgy, and the condensate gas field, compared to environmentally unexposed territories. The Russian version of the SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess the participants' quality of life. Serum Ca levels were measured using colorimetry with O-cresolphthalein, and serum Mg concentrations were measured using colorimetry with xylidyl blue. Both elevated and decreased serum Ca levels were more frequently observed in the environmentally exposed populations. The prevalence of hypermagnesemia was highest among residents near the condensate gas field. Environmentally exposed populations residing near the SNTS and in Ust-Kamenogorsk exhibited lower scores in some QoL domains. In contrast, people near the condensate gas field showed comparable or even higher QoL scores than the control population. Only serum Mg demonstrated a significant association with the average QoL scores, while Ca did not show such an association. These findings have important implications for public health interventions.

Genetic markers of cardiac autonomic neuropathy in the Kazakh population.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that increases the risk of morbidity and mortality by disrupting cardiac innervation. Recent evidence suggests that CAN may manifest even before the onset of DM, with prediabetes and metabolic syndrome potentially serving as precursors. This study aims to identify genetic markers associated with CAN development in the Kazakh population by investigating the SNPs of specific genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study involved 82 patients with CAN (cases) and 100 patients without CAN (controls). A total of 182 individuals of Kazakh nationality were enrolled from a hospital affiliated with the RSE "Medical Center Hospital of the President's Affairs Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan". 7 SNPs of genes FTO, PPARG, SNCA, XRCC1, FLACC1/CASP8 were studied. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square methods, calculation of odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and logistic regression in SPSS 26.0. RESULTS: Among the SNCA gene polymorphisms, rs2737029 was significantly associated with CAN, almost doubling the risk of CAN (OR 2.03(1.09-3.77), p = 0.03). However, no statistically significant association with CAN was detected with the rs2736990 of the SNCA gene (OR 1.00 CI (0.63-1.59), p = 0.99). rs12149832 of the FTO gene increased the risk of CAN threefold (OR 3.22(1.04-9.95), p = 0.04), while rs1801282 of the PPARG gene and rs13016963 of the FLACC1 gene increased the risk twofold (OR 2.56(1.19-5.49), p = 0.02) and (OR 2.34(1.00-5.46), p = 0.05) respectively. rs1108775 and rs1799782 of the XRCC1 gene were associated with reduced chances of developing CAN both before and after adjustment (OR 0.24, CI (0.09-0.68), p = 0.007, and OR 0.43, CI (0.22-0.84), p = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that rs2737029 (SNCA gene), rs12149832 (FTO gene), rs1801282 (PPARG gene), and rs13016963 (FLACC1 gene) may be predisposing factors for CAN development. Additionally, SNPs rs1108775 and rs1799782 (XRCC1 gene) may confer resistance to CAN. Only one polymorphism rs2736990 of the SNCA gene was not associated with CAN.

Epidemiology of pediatric hematological malignancies in Kazakhstan: Data from Unified National Electronic Healthcare System 2014-2021.

We aimed to describe incidence and all-cause mortality of hematological pediatric malignancies (leukemia and lymphomas) in Kazakhstan based on nationwide large-scale healthcare data from the Unified National Electronic Healthcare System (UNEHS) for the 2014-2021 year period. The cohort included data of patients less than 18 years old with the diagnosis of hematological malignancies registered in the UNEHS (inpatient and outpatient registries) for the year period 2014-2021. Descriptive statistics were conducted to indicate socio-demographic characteristics of the cohort. Incidence and all-cause mortality were calculated per 100,000 population. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between determinants with the all-cause mortality. The total cohort consisted of 3357 children with leukemia and 1474 children with lymphomas. The mean age at diagnosis of leukemia and lymphomas was 7.3 ± 4.7 and 9.9 ± 4.9 years, respectively. The incidence rate of hematological malignancies was 6.8 per 100,000 in 2021. Patients with ALL had a higher incidence rate than patients with AML (3.4 and 1.2 per 100,000 in 2021, respectively). The incidence rate of HL and NHL was relatively similar which varied from 0.6 to 2.6 per 100,000 in 2014-2021. All-cause mortality of pediatric hematological malignancies varied from 1.1 to 1.5 per 100,000 in 2014-2021, with the peak in 2016 (1.7 per 100,000). Younger age is significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in children with AML. CONCUSION: Patients with ALL had a higher incidence rate than patients with AML. The incidence rate of HL and NHL was relatively similar. All-cause mortality rates for leukemia and lymphomas were quite stable during the study period. Younger age is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality among AML patients. However, there is no significant association of age with all-cause mortality among ALL, HL and NHL. In order to obtain more reliable data and analysis on pediatric (hematological) malignancies, specific registries for childhood tumors (including detailed information on relapses, treatments, short and long-term side effects, and specific death causes) should be implemented. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Leukemias and lymphomas together account for around 45% of all pediatric malignancies. • Lymphoma accounts for 12% of all childhood malignancies; non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are more frequent than Hodgkin's lymphomas (HL). WHAT IS NEW: • The incidence rate of ALL was higher than the incidence rate of AML throughout the whole study period, whereas all-cause mortality of ALL and AML was quite stable. • According to Cox PH analysis, younger age (0-5 years old) was associated with a higher risk of death among AML children compared to older children, and no significant association of age was observed with all-cause mortality among ALL and lymphomas.

The impact of incentive scheme on rural healthcare workforce availability: a case study of Kazakhstan.

BACKGROUND: During the 1990-2000, Kazakhstan experienced a decline in the number of healthcare professionals working in rural areas. Since 2009, the national government has been implementing financial incentives to encourage healthcare professionals to relocate to rural areas. This study aims to investigate the temporal and spatial patterns in the distribution of the rural healthcare workforce and evaluate the impact of this incentive scheme. METHODS: Interrupted Time Series Analysis using ARIMA models and Difference in Differences analyzes were conducted to examine the impact of the incentive scheme on the density of different categories of the healthcare workforce in rural Kazakhstan in the period from 2009 to 2020. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the number of rural healthcare professionals from 2009 to 2020 in comparison to the period from 1998 to 2008. However, this increase was less pronounced in per capita terms. Moreover, a decline in the density of internists and pediatricians was observed. There is substantial variation in the density of rural nurses and physicians across different regions of Kazakhstan. The incentive scheme introduced in 2009 by the government of Kazakhstan included a one-time allowance and housing incentive. This scheme was found to have contributed insignificantly to the observed increase in the number of rural healthcare professionals. CONCLUSION: Future research should be undertaken to examine the impact made by the incentive scheme on other medical subspecialties, particularly primary practitioners. Addressing the shortage of healthcare workers in rural areas is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach. Aside from financial incentives, other policies could be considered to increase relocation and improve the retention of healthcare professionals in rural areas.

The activity of 210Pb in cigarette smoked in Kazakhstan.

The radon decay product 210Pb is a known component of tobacco. In this study, the activity concentration of 210Pb in the most popular cigarette brands (six samples) for Kazakhstan consumers was determined by beta spectrometry. The activity levels of 210Pb ranged between 2.69 ± 0.27 and 27.42 ± 2.74 mBq per cigarette. Higher activity concentrations for 210Pb were found in Sample No.4 and showed an excess of the world average by 1.8 times. The average activity concentrations of 210Pb in cigarette tobacco were 10.42 ± 1.04 mBq cig-1. The daily activities inhaled in the lungs of a smoker, and the resulting effective doses due to cigarette smoking were calculated. Effective doses per year due to cigarette smoking were calculated assuming that 42.13% of the 210Pb in tobacco were retained in the lungs of the smokers. It is concluded that for a smoker in Kazakhstan, the average effective dose ranges from 9.1 ± 0.9 µSv/year to 92.8 ± 9.3 µSv/year for a cigarette consumption of one pack of cigarettes per day. The results indicate that the annual effective doses from inhalation of 210Pb due to smoking one pack of cigarettes per day are from 7 to 58 times (for different types of cigarettes) greater than the annual effective doses from ingestion of radionuclides via the diet.

The relationship between Toll-like receptor-4 genes and preeclampsia outcomes.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to analyse the relationship of the rs4986790 locus of the TLR4 gene with the overall risk of preeclampsia, including both its early and late forms. METHODS: The study used standard genetic analysis methods such as DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and genotyping of the rs4986790 locus of the TLR4 gene to assess the association with the development of preeclampsia and peripartal stroke in 207 pregnant women from the southern regions of Kazakhstan from 2016 to 2022, of whom 103 had peripartal stroke on the background of preeclampsia (the main group) and 104 preeclampsia (comparative group). RESULTS: The results of the study demonstrate that the AG and AG + GG genotypes at the rs4986790 locus of the TLR4 gene are significantly associated with an increased risk of developing an early form of preeclampsia. This opens up a new perspective in the identification of genetic markers that can serve as indicators of a tendency to develop preeclampsia in earlier periods of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: It was noted that the rs4986790 locus did not show a statistically significant association with the risk of late preeclampsia. An important aspect of the study revealed the relationship of genotypes with the development of peripartal stroke on the background of preeclampsia. This study offers practical insights for creating targeted genetic screening and personalised treatments for preeclampsia, aiming to improve patient outcomes. To fully understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the identified association, additional research is required to identify deeper molecular pathways and relationships, and to develop new strategies for the prevention and treatment of preeclampsia.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Bacterial Pathogens Associated with Leaf Mottle of Sunflower in Northern Kazakhstan.

Leaf mottle is a serious disease in the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), which affects plant growth and development and seed quality and yield. Over the past few years, the North Kazakhstan region, a sunflower-producing area in Kazakhstan, has been seriously affected by leaf mottle. Since 2021, symptomatic leaves have been collected from production areas of this base to determine the pathogens causing sunflower foliar diseases. One hundred bacterial strains were isolated, and two genera and five species were identified based on morphological characteristics, molecular genetics, and phylogenetic analysis (16S gene region). The genus Bacillus was represented by four species: Bacillus subtilis, B. megaterium, B. amyloliquefaciens, and B. flexus. The genus Paenibacillus was represented by one species, P. peoriae. Pathogenicity experiments showed that B. subtilis, B. megaterium, B. flexus, and P. peoriae could cause leaf mottle disease symptoms. However, disease symptoms caused by B. flexus were highly similar to those observed on infected leaves under natural conditions in the field. Therefore, these bacterial isolates were found to be the primary pathogens causing sunflower leaf mottle, and B. flexus was the most common and virulent pathogen in this study. In addition, this is the first report of B. megaterium, B. flexus, and P. peoriae as pathogens associated with sunflower leaf mottle in Kazakhstan.

Genetic polymorphism of 27 Y-STR loci in Kazakh populations from Central Kazakhstan.

BACKGROUND: The haplotypes from Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Kazakhstan, analysed for 27 Y-STR loci, have been contributed to the Y-Chromosome STR Haplotype Reference Database, while the genetic profile of Central Kazakhstan remains inadequately explored. AIM: To investigate the genetic diversity of 27 Y-STR loci in the Kazakh populations from Central Kazakhstan. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 112 unrelated Central Kazakh males were genotyped via the Yfiler Plus kit. Data analysis yielded haplotype and allele frequencies, and forensic parameters. Genetic distances were graphically represented by a multidimensional scaling plot, with genetic linkages further elucidated through Nei's distance dendrograms and Median-joining networks. RESULTS: A total of 102 haplotypes were detected, of which 96 were unique. The haplotype diversity and discrimination capacity were 0.997 and 0.91, respectively. Central Kazakhstan displays a unique cluster in analyses, underscoring its distinct Y-chromosome diversity compared to other Kazakh regions. The analysis of the Naiman tribe, predominantly residing in Central, Southern and Eastern Kazakhstan, revealed three genetic clusters of distinct haplogroups associated with their clans. CONCLUSIONS: The identified haplotypes will enhance the existing reference database for Y-chromosomal studies in Kazakhstan, offering a robust tool for future research in population genetics, forensic science and genetic genealogy.

Analysis of chronic kidney disease epidemiology in Kazakhstan using nationwide data for 2014-2020 and forecasting future trends of prevalence and mortality for 2030.

According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, chronic kidney disease (CKD) was prevalent in 697.5 million individuals worldwide in 2017. By 2040, it is anticipated that CKD will rank as the fifth most common cause of death. This study aims to examine the epidemiology of CKD in Kazakhstan and to project future trends in CKD prevalence and mortality by 2030. The retrospective analysis was performed on a database acquired from the Unified National Electronic Health System for 703,122 patients with CKD between 2014 and 2020. During the observation period, 444,404 women and 258,718 men were registered with CKD, 459,900 (66%) were Kazakhs and 47% were older than 50. The incidence rate notably decreased: 6365 people per million population (PMP) in 2014 and 4040 people PMP in 2020. The prevalence changed from 10,346 to 38,287 people PMP, and the mortality rate increased dramatically from 279 PMP to 916 PMP. Kazakhstan's central regions, Turkestan and Kyzylorda were identified as the most burdensome ones. The ARIMA model projected 1,504,694 expected prevalent cases in 2030. The predicted mortality climbed from 17,068 cases in 2020 to 37,305 deaths in 2030. By 2030, the prevalence and mortality of CKD will significantly increase, according to the predicted model. A thorough action plan with effective risk factor management, enhanced screening among risk populations, and prompt treatment are required to lessen the burden of disease in Kazakhstan.

Dynamic changes in water resources and comprehensive assessment of water resource utilization efficiency in the Aral Sea basin, Central Asia.

The Aral Sea Basin in Central Asia faces significant challenges in improving water utilization and treatment because of frequent transboundary river water disputes and shortages of water resources. However, the traditional water resource utilization efficiency (WRUE) assessment models generally have the defect of over-validating evaluation results. To solve this problem, this study used the Coefficient of Variation method to constrain the self-contained weights in the traditional Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to construct an improved CV-DEA model, and assessed the WRUE of the Aral Sea Basin countries during 2000-2018 and compared the WRUE with that of the countries in the Mekong River Basin and Northeast Asia, then explored the factors influencing water utilization. The conclusions were drawn: since 1960, the runoff from the upper Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers increased significantly, while the runoff from the lower Amu Darya River into the Aral Sea declined. Meanwhile, the water area of the Aral Sea shrank from 2.56 × 104 km2 to 0.70 × 104 km2 in 2000-2018, with the Northern Aral Sea remaining stable while the southern part shrinking sharply. The WRUE of the Aral Sea Basin (0.599, on average) was higher than that of the Mekong River Basin (0.547) and lower than that of Northeast Asia (0.885). Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan had the highest WRUE of 0.819 and 0.685 respectively, and the WRUE in both two countries improved from 2000 to 2018. Tajikistan (0.495) and Turkmenistan (0.402) experienced decreases in WRUEs. The high input redundancy of agricultural water consumption was the main driving force affecting WRUE in the basin.

Phytochemical and Micro-Morphological Characterization of Atraphaxis pyrifolia Bunge Growing in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Atraphaxis pyrifolia is a native species of Central Asia, known for curing several disorders. The species has little knowledges about its chemical composition and any information about its morphological characteristics despite its importance in traditional Asian medicine. This is one of the first approaches to the phytochemical and morphological characterization of this species. Micro-morphology was performed on the stem, and leaf parts of this plant to profile the morpho-anatomical characters using brightfield, fluorescence, polarized and scanning electron microscopy. Leaves were extracted with hexane and methanol. The hexane extract was analyzed using GC-MS analysis revealing the major presence of γ-sitosterol and nonacosane. The methanolic extract was submitted to Vacuum Liquid Chromatography and Sephadex LH-20. HPTLC, HR-ESI-MS and NMR techniques were used to identify the main compounds. Four glycosylated flavonoids were isolated: 8-O-acetyl-7-O-methyl-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosylgossypetin (Compound 1), and 7-O-methyl-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosylgossypetin (Compound 3), and two other compounds reported for the first time in the literature (Compounds 2 and 4). The findings presented herein furnish pertinent information essential for the identification and authentication of this medicinal plant. Such insights are invaluable for facilitating robust quality control measures and serve as a foundational framework for subsequent endeavours in metabolic, pharmacological, and taxonomical analyses.

Application of DNA barcodes in the genetic diversity of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in Kazakhstan.

Forty-five tick species have been recorded in Kazakhstan. However, their genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships, particularly when compared to ticks in neighbouring countries, remain unclear. In the present study, 148 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence data from our laboratory and NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ ) data were used to address this knowledge gap. Phylogenetic analyses showed that i) Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (Koch, 1844) ticks from Jambyl Oblast (southeastern Kazakhstan) and Gansu Province (northwestern China) constituted a newly deviated clade; and ii) Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1974) ticks from South Kazakhstan Oblast were closer to those in Romania and Turkey. The network diagram of haplotypes showed that i) the H-1 and H-2 haplotypes of Dermacentor marginatus (Sulzer, 1776) ticks from Zhetisu and Almaty were all newly evolved; and ii) the H-3 haplotypes of Haemaphysalis erinacei (Pavesi, 1884) from Almaty Oblast and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (northwestern China) were evolved from the H-1 haplotype from Italy. In the future, more COI data from different tick species, especially from Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries, should be employed in the field of tick DNA barcoding.

Chemical composition and physicochemical properties of natural therapeutic mud of Kazakhstan salt lakes: a review.

In recent years, interest in natural therapeutic mud has been growing all over the world. This natural product has a positive therapeutic effect on the skin and has fewer side effects on the human body. There are more than 40 thousand salt lakes in Kazakhstan. Most of them have natural mud sources, the potential of which has not yet been fully explored. The review presents an analysis of the available information on the physical and chemical properties of the main sources of natural mud from salt lakes in Kazakhstan and Kazakh sanatoriums that use natural mud in the treatment. All available publications, presenting the systematic studies, were used for data analysis. A comparative analysis of the mineralization of water, brine, and silt in one reservoir shows that the mineralization of water is not always the least. The available data indicate a point and partial nature of peloid studies, e.g., inorganic composition of natural muds from Western and Southern Kazakhstan is well described in the literature. In turn, there is a lack of these data from Northern and Eastern Kazakhstan. Studies of peloids in these regions seem to be a promising direction of the future research for both local and world scientists. What is more, there is also a big gap in the analysis of organic matter of muds from the Kazakh lakes. Comparing the state of the art, i.e., the studies from other parts of Asia and Europe, the identification of the organic part of muds is another desirable direction as a potential source of biologically active compounds of natural origin.

A nose for trouble: ecotoxicological implications for climate change and disease in Saiga antelope (S. t. tatarica).

In recent decades, Saiga antelope (Saiga t. tatarica) mass die-offs have become more common. The mass die-off of 2015 in central Kazakhstan, recorded 140,000 individual deaths across multiple herds. Previously, research has shown atmospheric humidity, the bacterium Pasteurella multocida serotype B, and resultant haemorrhagic septicaemia, were the primary cause. However, other synergistic factors may have impacted this process. Here we use a multivariate compositional data analysis (CoDA) approach to assess what other factors may have been involved. We show a pollutant linkage mechanism where relative humidity and dewpoint temperature combine with environmental pollutants, potentially toxic elements (e.g., Hg, As), complex carbon compounds (e.g., Acetone, Toluene), and inorganic compounds (e.g., CHx, SO2) which affected the Saiga during the calving season (start and peak) and at the onset of the mass die-off. We suggest a mechanism for this process. Upon arrival at their carving grounds, the Saiga experienced a sudden precipitation event, a spike in temperatures, and resultant high humidity occurs. The infectious bacterium P. multocida serotype B then spreads. Further, environmental pollutants contained within steppe soils are released to the air, forming localised smog events, these synergistically combine, and mass die-off occurs.

Social anxiety of the citizens of Kazakhstan: The dynamics of change and its impact on public consciousness.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the factors associated with the formation of social anxiety and to explore trends in their impact on society in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors have used comparative, descriptive, and deductive methods to achieve the research goals. The results of the study determined that anxiety phenomena have become increasingly common over time and social anxiety is one of the most dangerous due to its degree of limitation. The vast majority of people experience some form of social anxiety, which occurs when distorted reality intervenes and certain moments signalize as dangerous. As a product of individual experience and sociopolitical construct, fear becomes the element organizing the state order. The social aspects are notably relevant to the process when the common sense of public consciousness puts security in the foreground as a matter of the greatest importance and urgency.

Mosses as bioindicators of air pollution with potentially toxic elements in the Burabay State National Natural Park, Kazakhstan.

The Burabay State National Natural Park is a national park of the great natural and historical values located in the north of Kazakhstan, which has been exposed in recent years to significant anthropogenic impact. The moss biomonitoring was performed in the Borovoye resort community, an important tourist destination in the national park, to identify the level of air pollution. Mosses collected at 29 locations were subjected to neutron activation analysis to determine 36 elements and additionally to ICP-OES to detect the level of Cu and Pb. Factor analysis was applied to check if there are any associations between identified elements and to link them with possible emission sources. According to contamination factor and pollution load indices the investigated area belongs to three classes of pollution: unpolluted, suspected and moderate. Potential ecological risk index calculated for selected elements revealed harmless risk to human health. The level of element obtained in Burabay State National Natural Park was compared with the data available for other national parks.