Post-COVID syndrome develops after COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease 2019) and leads to cumulative effects in the form of shortness of breath and impaired lung function. Notably, patients with airway inflammation and COVID-19 were found to have increased concentrations of hyaluronic acid (HA). Since bovhyaluronidase azoximer (Longidase®) catalyzes the hydrolysis of HA, this drug has the potential to reduce HA levels and improve lung function in patients with post-COVID syndrome.The aim of the DISSOLVE trial, which was conducted early in the pandemic, was to investigate the efficacy and safety of bovhyaluronidase azoximer in patients with symptoms associated with post-COVID syndrome.Methods. An open, prospective, controlled, comparative, multicenter clinical trial (NCT04645368) included adult patients (n = 160) who had post-COVID syndrome. Patients in the treatment group (n = 81) received bovhyaluronidase azoximer, and individuals in the control group (n = 79) were followed up without intervention. The study included physical examination, evaluation of forced vital capacity (FVC), assessment of dyspnea with the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC), 6-minute walking test, and pulse oximetry. These indicators were measured on 3 visits, at days 1 (baseline), 75, and 180. In addition, the number of patients who experienced adverse events and serious adverse events were recorded.Results. Baseline patient characteristics in the treatment group and the control group were similar. In the treatment group, there was a statistically significant reduction in residual pulmonary abnormalities after visit 2 (day 75) and visit 3 (day 180). In addition, FVC, pulse oximetry values, and functional exercise tolerance increased statistically significantly at days 75 and 180 compared to baseline. The mMRC scores for dyspnea decreased statistically significantly in the treatment group over 75 days. The safety profile of the drug was reported to be favorable throughout the study. Conclusion. Treatment with bovhyaluronidase azoximer in patients with post-COVID syndrome showed improvement in FVC, pulse oximetry, functional exercise tolerance, and mMRC dyspnea.

The paper considers a quasi – periodic microheterogeneity structure formed under the effect of optical fiber melting, which can be used as a sensitive element for an optical sensor based on a Fabry – Perot interferometer or an optical radiation scatterer with improved flexibility and strength parameters. Mathematical modeling of the process of transmission and reflection of radiation on the microcavities of the intrafiber structure will make it possible to predict the characteristics of the developed sensors. The simulation was carried out in the COMSOL Multyphysics simulation package. A section of a single – mode SMF-28e fiber with microinhomogeneities located in the core, the dimensions of which were measured in the course of an empirical study, is considered. To solve the problem, a system of equations was compiled that describes the propagation of a plane electromagnetic wave in matter. The results obtained showed that the calculated reflection spectrum qualitatively coincides with the measured value, but does not describe it with high accuracy. This may be due to the fact that the model does not take into account intermode interference in the fiber, and does not have an introduced melt zone around microcavities, since such a melt zone has a complex refractive index distribution and composition

The paper describes a technique for manufacturing samples of fiber diffusers based on fibers with a gradient refractive index profile and a double cladding. Fiber diffusers can be used in medicine, for example, as sources of input radiation in photodynamic therapy or heat sources in phototherapeutic devices such as dressings or blankets. The paper describes experiments on creating quasi-periodic and non-periodic structures from microdefects inside optical fibers by means of optical breakdown and subsequent melting of the fiber core by a moving plasma spark. On the basis of experimental data, the optimal types of fibers were determined to create diffusers with the required properties. The energy characteristics of the laser diode necessary for writing structures from microdefects were estimated, and the results of measuring the parameters of microdefects were presented.

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