Purpose This paper addresses the motivations of tourists who visit the region of La Rioja, Spain, which is well known for its internationally recognized, high-quality wines, yet remains understudied as a wine tourism destination. The paper aims to ascertain whether tourists are attracted to La Rioja because of its famous wines and wine-related activities or if other motivations exist. Design/methodology/approach The data were derived from 217 questionnaires regarding tourists’ motivations. A tourist survey was applied in La Rioja’s capital city, Logroño, and segmentation analysis was undertaken. The data were first grouped into five factors regarding motivations for one’s visit. These factors were then used to create two clusters: “wine tourists” and “other tourists”. Findings The results enabled us to detect different segments of tourists. The existence of two clusters suggests that tourists are motivated to visit the region for various reasons that are not necessarily wine-related. Thus, the region should be marketed to tourists beyond the theme of wine, as there is a demand for diverse experiences. Originality/value Using the push and pull theory, this study contributes to the literature on the profile of visitors to wine tourism destinations by identifying differences in terms of motivations and other personal characteristics between “wine tourists” and the “other tourists”. It also adds to the few existing studies on wine tourism segmentation in Spain through its focus on La Rioja, which is one of the most famous Spanish wine tourism destinations.

The aim is to evaluate the effect of metabolic activity of intestinal microflora on laboratory manifestations of carbohydrate malabsorption syndrome in early-aged children with rotavirus infection by studying the main intestinal metabolites – short-chain fatty acids in faeces. Materials and methods. 60 breastfed children with rotavirus infection aged 1–24 months were examined. The total amount of carbohydrates in faecal samples was determined using Benedict’s test, and the detection of short-chain fatty acids in faeces was carried out using liquid chromatography in the dynamics of the disease – on the 3rd, 5th and 10th day. Results. It was established, that the amount of reducing sugars in faeces decreased with the increasing concentration of intestinal microflora metabolites during the entire period of rotavirus infection. In patients with ≤0.5 % level of carbohydrates in faeces, the total content of short-chain fatty acids was the highest and exceeded by 2.0, 1.8 and 1.7 times the indicators of children with Benedict’s test values >0.5 % on the 3rd, 5th and 10th days of the disease, respectively (p < 0.05). A decrease in the metabolic activity of the intestinal microbiota in the above category of children occurred mainly due to a deficiency in the production of acetic and propionic acids (P < 0.05). In the acute period of the disease, an imbalance in the intestinal microbiota infrastructure was noted towards a deficiency of obligate anaerobes that was expressed in a decrease in the anaerobic index (P < 0.05). The severity of these disorders influenced the severity of carbohydrate malabsorption: with an increase in the level of undigested sugars in faeces >0.5 %, the anaerobic index values were 3 and 5 times lower than at a carbohydrate level ≤0.5 % on the 3rd and 5th days of the disease, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusions. It has been found that early-aged children with rotavirus infection have structural and functional disorders of the intestinal microflora, which influence the severity of carbohydrate malabsorption syndrome. The lower the saccharolytic activity of intestinal bacteria, the more pronounced the manifestations of this syndrome during the entire period of the disease.

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Aim. Clinical case report of multisystem inflammatory syndrome, probably associated with COVID-19 and complicated by large thrombus in the right atrium in a child highlights the problems of monitoring, treatment, and the possibility of their solution. Presentation of a clinical case. We demonstrate one of the cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), which meets WHO criteria. In a child with a severe course of the disease and symptoms of hyperinflammation, on the 16th day from the onset of the disease, a positive effect was registered on the introduction of human normal immunoglobulin for intravenous administration and glucocorticosteroids. But on the day 27 of the disease, despite administration of anticoagulant therapy, a large blood clot was found in the right atrium cavity. Operation was performed with removal of the thrombus from the right atrium under artificial blood circulation and the child was discharged in satisfactory condition to continue treatment in an outpatient setting on the day 56 of the disease. Conclusions. Timely diagnosis of MIS-C in children with fever, signs of inflammation and organ dysfunction during the pandemic spread of COVID-19 and reasonable administration of intravenous immunoglobulin and steroids may reduce the inflammatory response and improve the prognosis. It is also important to conduct population-based prospective studies to optimize thromboprophylaxis in children with COVID-19 and MIS-C.