Ecological features of trace elements tolerant microbes isolated from sewage sludge of urban wastewater treatment plant.

Worldwide wastewater treatment plants generate enormous amounts of sewage sludge, and their further disposal depends on the treatment technologies applied and spontaneously occurring microbiological processes. From different ages urban sewage sludge, 12 strains of bacteria with simultaneous tolerance to two or more trace elements: Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb at concentration of 3-5 mmol were isolated and identified by PCR of target genes and Sanger sequencing methods. The isloated metal(loids) tolerant strains belong to the species, i.e., Serratia fonticola, Rhodococcus qingshengii, Pseudomonas fragi, Pseudomonas extremaustralis, Pseudomonas cedrina, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Serratia liquefaciens and Citrobacter freundii. The ecological features of the isolated strains were studied. The optimal growth temperatures for most strains was 15-30°C at pH range of 5-9, although some strains grew at 7°C (Pseudomonas fragi SS0-4, Serratia fonticola SS0-9 and Serratia fonticola SS12-11). Satisfactory growth of two strains (Serratia fonticola SS0-1and Citrobacter freundii SS60-12) was noted in an acidic medium at pH 4. Most of the strains grew in the NaCl concentration range of 1-5%. The isolated bacteria resistant to high concentrations of trace elements can be used for the effective mineralization of sewage sludge and for the decontamination of wastewater.

Effects of fetal exposure to high-fat diet or maternal hyperglycemia on L-arginine and nitric oxide metabolism in lung.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Alterations in the L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO) metabolism contribute to diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and airway dysfunction. The impact of early-life exposures on the L-arginine/NO metabolism in lung later in life is not well understood. The objective of this work was to study the effects of intrauterine exposures to maternal hyperglycemia and high-fat diet (HFD) on pulmonary L-arginine/NO metabolism in mice. METHODS: We used two murine models of intrauterine exposures to maternal (a) hyperglycemia and (b) HFD to study the effects of these exposures on the L-arginine/NO metabolism in lung in normal chow-fed offspring. RESULTS: Both intrauterine exposures resulted in NO deficiency in the lung of the offspring at 6 weeks of age. However, each of the exposures leading to different metabolic phenotypes caused a distinct alteration in the L-arginine/NO metabolism. Maternal hyperglycemia leading to impaired glucose tolerance but no obesity in the offspring resulted in increased levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine and impairment of NO synthases. Although maternal HFD led to obesity without impairment in glucose tolerance in the offspring, it resulted in increased expression and activity of arginase in the lung of the normal chow-fed offspring. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that maternal hyperglycemia and HFD can cause alterations in the pulmonary L-arginine/NO metabolism in offspring.

[The prognostic value of cardiology screening data in relation to the development of myocardial infarct in the next 7 years]. / Prognosticheskaia znachimost' dannykh kardiologicheskogo skrininga v otnoshenii razvitiia infarkta miokarda v blizhaishie 7 let.

A prospective follow-up within 7 years was performed for 4148 males aged 40-59 from an open population of Minsk who had been subjected to cardiological screening. The frequency of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) established at screening exceeded that of CHD-free subjects 4.1 times. For separate forms of CHD a relative risk for patients with MI history, angina pectoris of effort (by Roze questionnaire) and isolated ischemic changes on ECG at rest amounted to 8.6, 4.0 and 2.3, respectively. MI was associated with blood pressure, cholesterol levels. A multivariate analysis revealed a significant independent contribution of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking and age to the risk of MI development in subjects free of CHD at screening. Concrete values of beta-coefficients of the logistic function prognosticating the risk of MI development in the population studied have been determined.

[Experience and results with an approach to preventing ischemic heart disease in a region]. / Opyt i rezul'taty podkhoda k profilaktike ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa v raione.

The program of coronary heart disease prevention among the population of the administrative district of Minsk was implemented over three years through the managerial, administrative and medical structures. The task team performed the organizational and methodological work and carried out the monitoring of the epidemiological situation with regard to coronary heart disease. 1537 persons underwent primary screening and 1112 were examined after three years. A statistically significant increase in the awareness of the population and doctors of the problems of a healthy lifestyle, improved indices of arterial hypertension control, a tendency toward decrease in the prevalence of arterial hypertension were recorded during the observation period. The behavioral risk factors could not be influenced.