Light passage through the polymer film of liquid crystal droplets with modified boundary conditions

A method to analyze coherent transmission coefficients and the small-angle light scattering structure of PDLC layer with homogeneous and inhomogeneous boundary conditions on the droplets surface is discussed. For PDLC films with inhomogeneous boundary conditions at the polymer – liquid crystal interface, asymmetry of the angular structure of light scattering with respect to the polar angle is revealed. Besides, experimental results on transmittance are presented

Cefpodoxime proxetil – new opportunities in antibacterial therapy of respiratory infections

The purpose of the expert council was to determine the place of cefpodoxime in the ABT algorithms for upper and lower respiratory tract infections and to form a consensus position on its use in clinical practice. Based on the available data, the possibility of including cefpodoxime in national guidelines for the treatment of rhinosinusitis, acute tonsillopharyngitis, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), as well as infectious exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (CB) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is being considered

Global maps of soil temperature.

Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km <sup>2</sup> resolution for 0-5 and 5-15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e. offset) between in situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km <sup>2</sup> pixels (summarized from 8519 unique temperature sensors) across all the world's major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (-0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications

Generics and the specific features of their regulation

The article discusses the factors that influence the efficacy and safety of generic drugs, including regular generics, biosimilars, and generic nonbiological complex drugs. It emphasizes the importance of adequate regulatory requirements to provide a comparable therapeutic efficacy and a comparable cost-effectiveness ratio for generics versus brand-name drugs

Generics and the specific features of their regulation

The article discusses the factors that influence the efficacy and safety of generic drugs, including regular generics, biosimilars, and generic nonbiological complex drugs. It emphasizes the importance of adequate regulatory requirements to provide a comparable therapeutic efficacy and a comparable cost-effectiveness ratio for generics versus brand-name drugs

Drug interchangeability: Clinical efficacy and safety

The paper deals with the problem of the interchangeability of brand-name and generic drugs. Touching upon official terminology and the normative documents that govern the registration of generics in Russia and foreign countries, the authors state that there is no concerted approach to estimating drug interchangeability, indicate that there are some disadvantages of using a method for proving the bioequivalence of the compared drugs as evidence for their therapeutic equivalence, and point out that Russia's legal regulation of drug circulation lacks attention to the proper use of generics. The problem of interchangeability is particularly acute when prescribing narrow therapeutic range drugs, including anticonvulsant drugs. The results of the investigations discussed in the article demonstrate the need for a very cautious approach to using generic drugs in the therapy of epilepsy due to the fact that the disease may worsen. The authors come to the conclusion that treatment with less expensive generic drugs is far from always more economical. The change from a brand-name for a generic drug should be carefully approached, basing on the data of properly designed and conducted studies of therapeutic equivalence

Detecting medication errors associated with the use of beta-lactams in the Russian Pharmacovigilance database

Background: Comprehensive analysis of all available data in spontaneous reports (SRs) can reveal previously unidentified medication errors (MEs). Methods: To detect MEs, we performed a retrospective analysis of SRs submitted to the Russian pharmacovigilance database in the period from January 01, 2012, to August 01, 2014. This study evaluated SRs of cases where beta-lactam antibiotics were the suspected drug. Results: A total of 3608 SRs were analyzed. MEswere detected in 1043 reports (28.9% of all cases). The total number of detected errors was 1214. Reporters themselves indicated MEs in 29 SRs. A term denoting an ME was selected in the “Adverse Reactions” section in 18 of these SRs, whereas in the other 11 reports information on the ME was found only in the “Case narrative” section. MEs were associated with wrong indications in 32.5% of the cases; 61.0% of these cases were viral infections. Various dosing regimen violations constituted 29.7% of MEs. A contraindicated drug was administered in 17.3% of all detected MEs, most commonly to a patient with a history of allergy to the suspected drug or severe hypersensitivity reactions to other drugs of the same group. Conclusion: Automatic identification of MEs in the pharmacovigilance database is sometimes precluded by the absence of a code for the respective episode in the “Adverse Reactions” section, even when the error was detected by the reporter. The most frequent types of MEs associated with the use of beta-lactams in Russia are the leading risk factors of growing bacterial resistance. © 2021, The Author(s)

Medication errors associated with beta-lactam antibiotics: Analysis of Russian spontaneous reporting database

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of Russian database of spontaneous reports (SRs) for the period from 01.01.2012 to 01.08.2014. They analyzed 3608 SRs concerning adverse drug reactions associated with beta-lactam antibiotics to identify medication errors (MEs). MEs were detected in 1043 (28.9%) SRs, total amount of MEs was 1214. Medication error-related terms were indicated by reporters in 29 (0.8%) SRs. The most common types of identified MEs were inappropriate indication for the antibiotic - 32.5% MEs, deviations from the recommended dosing scheme - 29.7% MEs, and the use of contraindicated drug - 17.3% MEs. The use of antibiotics for viral infections and errors associated with a patient with documented hypersensitivity to administered drug pose a special problem. The highest number of SRs with MEs was associated with the use of cefazolin (50.8% SRs), amoxicillin (40.9% SRs), amoxicillin/clavulanate (40.0% SRs). The study shows the need to develop measures for prevention of MEs associated with the use of beta-lactam antibiotics in clinical practice. © 2019 Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved

Efficacy of azoximer bromide in the treatment of hospitalized patients with moderate to severe community-acquired pneumonia

Introduction. The high incidence of community-acquired pneumonia and the high complication rates in the cases of severe pneumonia actualize the search for new pharmacotherapy tools to improve the effectiveness of standard patient management regimens. A high level of severe inflammatory response underlies the high risk for developing septic complications of pneumonia, along with impaired immune responses. The aim is to evaluate the efficacy of azoximer bromide introduction in the combination therapy regimen for hospitalized patients with moderate to severe community-acquired pneumonia. Materials and methods. A prospective, open label, parallel group, randomized study comparing the efficacy of azoximer bromide introduction in the combination therapy of hospitalized patients with moderate to severe community-acquired pneumonia was conducted at the premises of Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Reanimatology and Rehabilitation. 30 patients were included in the study group and 37 patients in the comparator group. The baseline characteristics were comparable in both groups. Results. The azoximer bromide introduction in the combination therapy of patients with community-acquired pneumonia led to a statistically significant reduction in the duration of hospital stay (Me (LQ; HQ): 9 (8; 10) days for the study group and 13 (10; 14) days for the comparator group, (p = 0.000078), duration of ICU stay (Me (LQ; HQ) 2 days (1.5; 2.5) and 5 days (5.0; 6.0), respectively, (p = 0.00001), the duration of febrile fever 5 (± 0.6) days versus 10 (± 1.2) days (p = 0.0000), the incidence of acute respiratory failure (13.33% in group 1 versus 37.84% in group 2, p = 0.024) and septic shock (10% in group 1 versus 32.43% in group 2, p = 0.0285). Conclusions. The azoximer bromide introduction in the standard therapy regimen for patients with community-acquired pneumonia allowed to reduce the duration of hospital stay, the duration of ICU stay, the length of febrile fever, the incidence of septic shock and respiratory failure. The possible mechanisms of action may include a reduction of the severe inflammatory reactions and an optimization of the patient’s immune response to the infectious process. © 2021, Remedium Group Ltd. All rights reserved

Drug interchangeability: Clinical efficacy and safety

The paper deals with the problem of the interchangeability of brand-name and generic drugs. Touching upon official terminology and the normative documents that govern the registration of generics in Russia and foreign countries, the authors state that there is no concerted approach to estimating drug interchangeability, indicate that there are some disadvantages of using a method for proving the bioequivalence of the compared drugs as evidence for their therapeutic equivalence, and point out that Russia's legal regulation of drug circulation lacks attention to the proper use of generics. The problem of interchangeability is particularly acute when prescribing narrow therapeutic range drugs, including anticonvulsant drugs. The results of the investigations discussed in the article demonstrate the need for a very cautious approach to using generic drugs in the therapy of epilepsy due to the fact that the disease may worsen. The authors come to the conclusion that treatment with less expensive generic drugs is far from always more economical. The change from a brand-name for a generic drug should be carefully approached, basing on the data of properly designed and conducted studies of therapeutic equivalence