[Role of Linum usitatissimum L. in formation of microbic communities of podzol soils].

Features of Linum usitatissimum L. influence on structure and biological activity of soil microorganisms have been studied at different saturation of crop rotations. It was established, that L. usitatissimum L. promotes the formation of specific microbial soil cenosis which causes intensity and orientation of separate biological processes. Essential distinctions in quantitative and qualitative structure are indicated.

[Dynamic of the volume and structure of the soil bacterial complex in the presence of azobenzene]. / Dinamika chislennosti i struktury bakterial'nogo kompleksa pochvy pri vnesenii azobenzola.

Azobenzene exerted no significant effect on the dynamics and the species composition of the saprophytic soil bacterial complex, which remained almost the same as in the control and was characterized by the predominance of Curtobacterium sp., Arthrobacter globiformis, and Bacillus megaterium in all stages of succession. Some heterotrophic bacteria were found to be able to accumulate azobenzene. Bac. cereus and Bac. polymyxa degraded azobenzene during their cultivation in nutrient media.

[The effect of soil inoculation with microbial pesticide destructors on plant growth and development]. / Vliianie introdutsiruemykh v pochvu mikroorganizmov-destruktorov pestitsidov na rost i razvitie rastenii.

Soil inoculation with liquid cultures of Bacillus megaterium 501 and Exophiala nigrum A-29 capable of degrading several organophosphorus pesticides accelerated growth and development of experimental plants, formation of their generative organs, and improved their productivity. This was particularly observed under stress plant growth conditions on phytotoxic peach substrates. The microorganisms inoculated can probably degrade phytotoxins present in soils, thereby favoring the plant development.

[The results of sentinel epidemiological surveillance on the level of HIV prevalence among injection narcotic abusers in the city of Poltava]. / Rezul'taty "dozornogo" épidnadzora za urovnem rasprostranennosti VICh sredi in''ektsionnykh potrebitele narkotikov v g. Poltava.

The sentinel epidemiological surveillance on the level of spread of HIV infection among injecting drug users in Poltava, taking part in the program of harm reduction, was carried out. The results of the surveillance revealed that the level of HIV infection among drug users was 37.8%, the level of HIV infection among females being higher than that among males. These data indicate that the level of HIV infection rises with the increase of age and the time of drug consumption. Still in the age group of 30 years and older and among drug addicts using drugs for 7 years and longer the lowest level of HIV infection was noted.

[The epidemic situation in relation to HIV infection in Ukraine (1987-1997)]. / Epidemicheskaia situatsiia po VICh-infektsii na Ukraine (1987-1997).

The analysis of the dynamics of the epidemic process for 10 years made it possible to find out the presence of two separate epidemic waves of HIV infection. The first wave (1987-1994) was manifested as the slow type of the development of the epidemic, characterized mainly by sexual transmission. During this period 398 persons with HIV infection were detected, 24 persons were found to have AIDS; of these, 13 persons died. The second epidemic wave began in 1995 and was due to the spread of HIV among users of drugs introduced by injection. By the end of 1995 the number of HIV carriers was 34 times greater than that of 1994, reaching 1490 persons. In 1996-1997 this figure increased 8 times (annually). The number of AIDS patients rose to 420 persons. The most unfavorable regions with respect to HIV infection and AIDS morbidity were determined. The western regions of the Ukraine were noted to be in a more favorable situation in this respect with infection indices being lower more than 30 times. Up to 80% of all infected persons were found to be addicts introducing drugs intravenously. Growing morbidity in sexually transmitted disease, particularly in syphilis, contributed to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation. The conclusion was made on the necessity of introducing new prophylactic programs and expanding current ones. The signs of stabilization in Odessa and Nikolayev were observed; in these cities pilot programs aimed at the strategy of the "decrease of harm" have been introduced (in collaboration with UNAIDS) since 1996.

[The epidemiological characteristics of HIV infection in Ukraine]. / Osobennosti épidemiologii VICh-infektsii v Ukraine.

The paper presents results of screening tests involving different groups of the population in the Ukraine, for antibodies to HIV, findings from epidemiologic investigation into cases with HIV-infection, with a view to outlining epidemiologic situation and assessing effectiveness of antiepidemic measures. HIV-transmission through sexual contacts is the commonest way of HIV-transportation in the Ukraine (66.1% of all cases of infection). An attempt is made of giving a short-term prognosis of epidemic situation in the Ukraine over a period of up to 1995. A conclusion is reached on the necessity of strengthening preventive measures with the view of influencing the unsafe forms of sexual behaviour.

[Prevention of the chronic persistence of typhoid microbes in rabbits with thymostimulin]. / Preduprezhdenie khronicheskoi persistentsii briushnotifoznykh mikrobov u krolikov timostimulinom.

Typhoid infection was reproduced by introducing the infective agent into the bone marrow of noninbred rabbits. After the injection of thymostimulin on the first day of infection the release of typhoid bacilli continued for 1-3 weeks; when thymostimulin was injected on day 20, the release of typhoid bacilli stopped in two weeks. In the control group the release of typhoid bacilli continued during the whole term of observation. The injection of thymostimulin at an early period after infection was thus found to prevent the development of chronic typhoid infection with the elimination of the infective agent from the body of rabbits.

[Decomposition of simazine herbicide in algal cultures]. / Razlozhenie gerbitsida simazina v kul'turakh vodoroslei

The possibility of simazine accumulation and detoxication in the cultures of some species of green, yellow-green, and blue-green algae was investigated. It has been shown that the algae can accumulate simazine in amounts hundred times exceeding its concentration in the cultural medium. The protein fraction contained up to 28.8% of simazine accumulated by the algae. The accumulation of water-soluble products of simazine metabolism in the cultural medium is indicative of the partial transformation of the herbicide.