Characteristics of mukoviscisidosis in the southern regions of Russia

Introduction. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a  hereditary disease with genetic heterogeneity and clinical polymorphism. Expanding the range of knowledge about the characteristics of the course of the disease in different regions is important to achieve the goal of improving the quality and life expectancy.Purpose. Comparative analysis of the features of the course of CF in the subjects of the Southern Federal District, Stavropol Territory.Methods. Data from the National Register of Patients of the RF MV 2016 were used. Results: there are clinical and genetic features between the regions of the Southern Federal District and the Stavropol Territory of the North Caucasus Federal District and in general with the Russian Federation. Analysis of the data showed differences in indicators: the proportion of patients aged ≥ 18 is the lowest in the Republic of Crimea (14.9%), in the Rostov region the lowest average age of patients (9.0 ± 6.3), and the lowest age of diagnosis 2.2 ± 3.1 years. Late terms of diagnosis were revealed in the Stavropol Territory (4.0 ± 8.0 years), but here there is one of the highest average age of CF patients (14.1 ± 11.5), the proportion of adult patients (23.3%) and the lowest allelic frequency of F508del, which is determined by the high number of patients with a “soft” genotype. There is a high proportion of patients with an undetermined genotype. A low proportion of two identified genetic variants of the CFTR gene is registered in patients of the Republic of Crimea. A low frequency of Burkholderia cepacia complex and Achromobacter spp was revealed, and a high infection with non-tuberculous mycobacteria was revealed in the Rostov region. FEV1 in children and adults was lower in Rostov Region and Stavropol Territory. In all regions, there is a discrepancy between the seeding of flora and azithromycin therapy and the severity of the genotype with the use of pancreatic enzymes.Conclusions. Analysis of the data of the registry, which allows substantiating the need to study the regional characteristics of the course of CF in order to differentiate the planning of measures to improve the quality of medical care for patients with CF

Developing international business relationships in a Russian context

The collapse of the former Soviet Union has opened up a wealth of business opportunities for companies seeking new markets in the Russian Federation. Despite this, firms intending to do business in Russia have found themselves hampered by cultural differences in business practices and expectations. As Russia integrates into the global economy, understanding such practices and the managerial mindset of business people is crucial for managers who hope to navigate Russia's complex markets. This study draws on the trust literature and adopts quantitative tools to deconstruct the Russian 'Sviazi' system of social capital business networking. We develop a model isolating three dimensions of Sviazi: one an affective or emotional component; the second, a conative component; and the third, a cognitive component. The model provides a useful guide for helping foreign firms to succeed in Russia, while also serving as a basis for further research in the field. Keywords

Social factors influencing Russian male alcohol use over the life course: a qualitative study investigating age based social norms, masculinity, and workplace context

The massive fluctuations occurring in Russian alcohol-related mortality since the mid-1980s cannot be seen outside of the context of great social and economic change. There is a dearth of qualitative studies about Russian male drinking and especially needed are those that address social processes and individual changes in drinking. Conducted as part of a longitudinal study on men’s alcohol consumption in Izhevsk, this qualitative study uses 25 semi-structured biographical interviews with men aged 33–60 years to explore life course variation in drinking. The dominant pattern was decreasing binge and frequent drinking as men reached middle age which was precipitated by family building, reductions in drinking with work colleagues, and health concerns. A minority of men described chaotic drinking histories with periods of abstinence and heavy drinking. The results highlight the importance of the blue-collar work environment for conditioning male heavy drinking in young adulthood through a variety of social, normative and structural mechanisms. Post-Soviet changes had a structural influence on the propensity for workplace drinking but the important social function of male drinking sessions remained. Bonding with workmates through heavy drinking was seen as an unavoidable and essential part of young men’s social life. With age peer pressure to drink decreased and the need to perform the role of responsible breadwinner put different behavioural demands on men. For some resisting social pressure to drink became an important site of self-determination and a mark of masculine maturity. Over the lifetime the place where masculine identity was asserted shifted from the workplace to the home, which commonly resulted in a reduction in drinking. We contribute to existing theories of Russian male drinking by showing that the performance of age-related social roles influences Russian men’s drinking patterns, drinking contexts and their attitudes. Further research should be conducted investigating drinking trajectories in Russian men

Governing drug reimbursement policy in Poland: The role of the state, civil society, and the private sector

This article investigates the distribution of power in Poland’s drug reimbursement policy in the early 2000s. We examine competing theoretical expectations suggested by neopluralism, historical institutionalism, corporate domination, and clique theory of the post-communist state, using data from a purposive sample of 109 semi-structured interviews and documentary sources. We have four concrete findings. First, we uncovered rapid growth in budgetary spending on expensive drugs for narrow groups of patients. Second, to achieve these favorable policy outcomes drug companies employed two prevalent methods of lobbying: informal persuasion of key members of local cliques and endorsements expressed by patient organizations acting as seemingly independent “third parties.” Third, medical experts were co-opted by multinational drug companies because they relied on these firms for scientific and financial resources that were crucial for their professional success. Finally, there was one-way social mobility from the state to the pharmaceutical sector, not the “revolving door” pattern familiar from advanced capitalist countries, with deleterious consequences for state capacity. Overall, the data best supported a combination of corporate domination and clique theory: drug reimbursement in Poland was dominated by Western multinationals in collaboration with domestically based cliques.Piotr Ozieranski is indebted to the Department of Sociology, University of Cambridge and St Edmund’s College for research grants

ENVIRONMENTAL AND PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATIONS: DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL COMPETENCE IN FUTURE ARCHITECTS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE LANDSCAPE AND BIODIVERSITY

Abstract. Aim. The aim is to consider the features of the development of ecological competence of future architects for the conservation of landscapes and biodiversity. Methods. In research, we used narrative, descriptive and experimental methods of investigation. Results. We propose and justify the authorial approach to the methodology of structuring the process of formation of future architects’ look at the problems of conservation of landscapes and biodiversity, the implementation of which is expected to be carried out in three stages: the first stage, as objects for the architectural work in preparing the degree projects we selected disturbed landscapes in the populated areas of the region; the second stage, a student has to offer the architectural methods of solving the problem of restoring the disturbed landscape and biodiversity designated in the first stage; the third stage includes the promotion of environmental architectural ideas in the framework of various scientific, technical and socio-oriented activities. We considered 13 years of experience in testing the proposed approach, which showed its effectiveness both in terms of improving the quality of professional training of environmental architecture students and from the point of view of the need to restore damaged landscapes and biodiversity. Conclusions. The proposed approach makes it possible to solve the problem of development of ecological consciousness in architecture students at the same time and solving specific practical problems on restoration of landscapes and the required level of biodiversity in urban areas, overall resulting in a reduction of environmental and economic damage to urban areas, and lower costs for the implementation of environmental protection measures at restoration of disturbed landscapes