SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for a highly contagious infection, known as COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 was discovered in late December 2019 and, since then, has become a global pandemic. Timely and accurate COVID-19 laboratory testing is an essential step in the management of the COVID-19 outbreak. To date, assays based on the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in respiratory samples are the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis. Unfortunately, RT-PCR has several practical limitations. Consequently, alternative diagnostic methods are urgently required, both for alleviating the pressure on laboratories and healthcare facilities and for expanding testing capacity to enable large-scale screening and ensure a timely therapeutic intervention. To date, few studies have been conducted concerning the potential utilization of rapid testing for COVID-19, with some conflicting results. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to explore the feasibility of rapid diagnostic tests in the management of the COVID-19 outbreak. Based on ten studies, we computed a pooled sensitivity of 64.8% (95%CI 54.5–74.0), and specificity of 98.0% (95%CI 95.8–99.0), with high heterogeneity and risk of reporting bias. We can conclude that: (1) rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 are necessary, but should be adequately sensitive and specific; (2) few studies have been carried out to date; (3) the studies included are characterized by low numbers and low sample power, and (4) in light of these results, the use of available tests is currently questionable for clinical purposes and cannot substitute other more reliable molecular tests, such as assays based on RT-PCR.

Metabolomics is a promising technology for the application of translational medicine to cardiovascular risk. Here, we applied a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry approach to explore the associations between plasma concentrations of amino acids, methylarginines, acylcarnitines, and tryptophan catabolism metabolites and cardiometabolic risk factors in patients diagnosed with arterial hypertension (HTA) (n = 61), coronary artery disease (CAD) (n = 48), and non-cardiovascular disease (CVD) individuals (n = 27). In total, almost all significantly different acylcarnitines, amino acids, methylarginines, and intermediates of the kynurenic and indolic tryptophan conversion pathways presented increased (p < 0.05) in concentration levels during the progression of CVD, indicating an association of inflammation, mitochondrial imbalance, and oxidative stress with early stages of CVD. Additionally, the random forest algorithm was found to have the highest prediction power in multiclass and binary classification patients with CAD, HTA, and non-CVD individuals and globally between CVD and non-CVD individuals (accuracy equal to 0.80 and 0.91, respectively). Thus, the present study provided a complex approach for the risk stratification of patients with CAD, patients with HTA, and non-CVD individuals using targeted metabolomics profiling.

Molecular modeling, synthesis, and activity evaluation of a novel positive allosteric modulator of the AMPA receptor, 6-[4-methoxy-3-(1H-pyrazol-1-ylmethyl)benzyl]-1,11-dimethyl-3,6,9-triazatricyclo[7.3.1.1^3,11]tetradecane-4,8,12-trione, are presented. The main point of the design was to fill the interdomain cavity of GluA2 ligand binding domains based on the cyclothiazide binding mode. Electrophysiological studies showed high potentiation of the kainate-induced currents (pECmax ∼ 12).

Cочетание пародонтита и осложнений кариеса (пульпита и периодонтита) в области одного зубочелюстного сегмента, называемое эндодонто-пародонтальным поражением, представляет серьезную проблему современной стоматологии. Установлено, что патогенная микрофлора пародонтальных карманов и корневых каналов зубов с эндодонто-пародонтальным поражением практически идентична и представляет собой преимущественно анаэробные микроорганизмы. Патогенным действием обладают не только микроорганизмы, но и продукты их жизнедеятельности. Апикальное отверстие, боковые и дополнительные каналы являются физиологическими путями распространения инфекции между пульпой и пародонтом, формирующиеся в процессе эмбрионального развития, по которым патогенные микроорганизмы могут мигрировать, приводя к взаимному отягощению воспалительных процессов. В литературе эндодонто-пародонтальные поражения классифицируют на основании первичного источника инфекции, а именно эндодонтические, пародонтальные и истинно комбинированные поражения. Причиной частых удалений является недостаточная информированность врачей о возможностях и этапах лечения этой группы поражений. Эффективное лечение эндодонто-пародонтальных поражений подразумевает одновременное устранение микробного фактора из системы корневых каналов и пародонтального кармана, а затем, по возможности, — восстановление костных опорных структур, от которых зависит прогноз функционирования зуба в зубочелюстной системе. Ключевые слова: эндодонто-пародонтальные поражения, эндодонтия, прогноз зуба.

This research analyzes the direct-to-consumer digital marketing technologies in terms of prevalence and effectiveness. A cross-sectional study design was carried out using the non-repeated random sampling technique. Standardized questionnaires were administered by means of face-to-face interviews or online via web software Sphinx (Python Documentation Generator). The relative importance of prevalence (RIP) and the mean evaluation of effectiveness (MEE) were determined for all studied digital media and for all the different groups of respondents (pharmaceutical sales representatives, community pharmacists, consumers, and the entire sample). Inter-individual differences in RIP and MEE were assessed by computing the coefficient of variation, whereas inter-group differences were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Scheffé test as a post-hoc test. Research findings showed that, according to the opinion of all respondents, pharmaceutical promotional tools were more prevalent on healthcare websites. However, all respondents considered social media networks and chat messengers to be the most effective in terms of marketing communication. In conclusion, the results of the present research enable a better understanding of which digital platforms are more often used as media for direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical promotion, and which ones are perceived as the most effective for marketing communication.

This research aims to identify the most prevalent and impactful sales promotion tools used by pharmaceutical companies on consumers’ purchasing decisions at community pharmacies. A cross-sectional study design was carried out using the non-repeated random sampling technique. Standardized questionnaires were administered by means of face-to-face interviews or via emails. The relative importance of prevalence (RIP) and the mean evaluation of effectiveness (MEE) were determined for all studied marketing tools for the different groups of respondents (pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs), community pharmacists, consumers, and the entire sample). Inter-individual differences in RIP and MEE were assessed by computing the coefficient of variation, whereas inter-group differences were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Scheffé test as a post-hoc test. Research findings showed that, according to all respondents, the consumer promotion technique had the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions while merchandising was the most common sales promotion technique at community pharmacies. PSRs and pharmacists identified trade promotion as the most effective and prevalent technique. Furthermore, research findings showed that, according to all respondents, the following sales promotion tools had the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions: arrangement and design of showcases among the studied tools for merchandising; buy 1 and get 2 among the studied tools for consumer promotion; and gifts among the trade promotion studied tools. The same tools were identified as the most prevalent by all respondents. Free samples of promoted products appeared to be the most prevalent tool, but at the same time was the least effective. In conclusion, the results of the present research enable an understanding of which sales promotion tools are commonly used at community pharmacies and which ones have the strongest impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.