Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists—Use in Chronic Kidney Disease

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) are drugs with a potentially broad spectrum of action. They have been reported to have healing effects in many diseases, such as chronic heart failure, hypertension, or nephrotic syndrome. Numerous studies suggest that mineralocorticoid receptor activation is pathogenic and a progression factor of chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, results of studies on the use of MRA in the treatment of CKD are inconclusive. Current guidelines recommend against the use of MRA in patients with advanced CKD. Although, there is growing interest on their use in this population due to treatment benefits. In this review, we summarize studies which were purposed to evaluate the impact of MRA therapy on CKD patients. Despite many benefits of this treatment e.g., reducing cardiovascular mortality or alleviating proteinuria, steroidal MRA (such as spironolactone or eplerenone) have a low safety profile. They often lead to hyperkalemia complications which are dangerous in patients with CKD, and diabetic nephropathy, especially in hemodialysis patients. Studies on recently developed nonsteroidal MRA showed that they have fewer side effects. In our review, we discuss steroidal and nonsteroidal MRA treatment effects on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), proteinuria, the cardiovascular system, and hyperkalemia in CKD patients. We present new content and recent publications in this field.     

The Importance of Immunological Disorders in the Pathogenesis of Lichen Sclerosus in Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is defined as a chronic mucocutaneous inflammatory disease with a localization predominantly to the anus and genitals (vulvar sclerosus (VLS)). Pediatric lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition with predilection for the anogenital area that if untreated can lead to scarring. Vulvar LS is characterized by two peaks in incidence: it occurs in prepubertal girls and in postmenopausal women. To date, several mechanisms and risk factors have been proposed in the pathogenesis of pediatric vulvar LS; however, the etiology of this condition is still not fully understood and constitutes a challenge for scientists and clinicians. The presented research aimed to systematically review the existing literature on the pathogenesis of pediatric LS and to identify possible underlying autoimmune mechanisms and molecular networks. The clinical presentation of pediatric lichen sclerosus and available treatment modalities are also presented to acquaint a broader audience with this underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. As a result of our review, we discuss several potential mechanisms, molecules, and pathways that have been recognized in this disease. The purpose of our review was also to summarize what we can induce in further studies, which will ultimately help to identify the mechanism responsible for the disease and aid in the development of new, more effective treatment strategies for diagnosis and treatment by clinicians and researchers.     

Impact of the addition of dolomite to cream-firing clays on the technological and color properties of sintered ceramics

Sintered ceramics, represented by ceramic tiles or clinker bricks, are widely used in the building materials industry due to their technological properties and visual qualities. The topic of color changing of ceramic materials from cream-firing clays with the use of mineral additives has not been addressed to date. The aim of the paper was to investigate the effect of granulation of dolomite additives to ceramic masses based on cream-firing Borkowice clay on the color and properties of fired ceramic materials. The paper proposes that grain size of mineral additive affects the color of sintered ceramics. In order to confirm this hypothesis, a number of experiments were performed, consisting of determination of the color and technological properties of ceramic materials. The conducted tests showed that the color and technological properties of sintered ceramics are influenced by the grain size of the additives used.     

The effect of La2O3 and CeO2 modifiers on properties of Ni–Al catalysts for LNG prereforming

Ni/La–Al₂O₃ and Ni/Ce–Al₂O₃ catalysts with a small amount of promoters intended for prereforming of LNG were characterized by XRF, N₂ adsorption-desorption, XRD, H₂ chemisorption, HRTEM and XPS. The catalytic activity was evaluated in methane steam reforming both in the kinetic and diffusion regime, at temperatures characteristic of pre-reforming. Carbonaceous deposit was analysed by TPO-MS method. The nature and location of the coke were studied by HRTEM.La or Ce addition into Ni–Al system causes the increase of the active surface area of Ni by enhancing its dispersion. Studies at kinetic regime have shown that the promoted catalysts have almost twice the activity than reference Ni–Al catalyst. This effect was not confirmed by measurements in the diffusion regime on whole catalyst tablets. Almost identical textural properties of catalysts and diffusive limitations related to them but not the catalytic properties of the material itself appeared to be crucial factors. The presence of La (but not Ce) causes a significant increase in resistance to coking.     

Zinc(II) Complexes of Amino Acids as New Active Ingredients for Anti-Acne Dermatological Preparations

Zinc compounds have a number of beneficial properties for the skin, including antimicrobial, sebostatic and demulcent activities. The aim of the study was to develop new anti-acne preparations containing zinc–amino acid complexes as active ingredients. Firstly, the cytotoxicity of the zinc complexes was evaluated against human skin fibroblasts (1BR.3.N cell line) and human epidermal keratinocyte cell lines, and their antimicrobial activity was determined against Cutibacterium acnes. Then, zinc complexes of glycine and histidine were selected to create original gel formulations. The stability (by measuring pH, density and viscosity), microbiological purity (referring to PN-EN ISO standards) and efficacy of the preservative system (according to Ph. Eur. 10 methodology) for the preparations were evaluated. Skin tolerance was determined in a group of 25 healthy volunteers by the patch test. The preparations containing zinc(II) complexes with glycine and histidine as active substances can be topically used in the treatment of acne skin due to their high antibacterial activity against C. acnes and low cytotoxicity for the skin cells. Dermatological recipes have been appropriately composed; no irritation or allergy was observed, and the preparations showed high microbiological purity and physicochemical stability.     

Polymerized ionic liquids-based hydrogels with intrinsic antibacterial activity: Modern weapons against antibiotic-resistant infections

In this study, the inherent antibacterial activity of 11 different polymerized ionic liquids (PILs)-based hydrogels as well as their corresponding monomers was examined in an extensive screening. The methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Xen 30 (MRSA Xen 30) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Xen 5 (P. aeruginosa Xen 5) were chosen as test microorganisms. Both are typical representatives of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively. Six of the 11 tested monomers were able to eradicate more than 80% of P. aeruginosa Xen 5 cells in suspension. Unfortunately, the anionic, neutral and zwitterionic representatives lost their function after polymerization. However, the cationic gels retained their antibacterial activity with nearly 100% eradication of selected microorganisms - even at the smallest amount tested. Bactericidal activity against gram-positive MRSA Xen 30 was high when the bacteria were treated with the imidazolium-based monomers. Five of the tested compounds showed rather limited bactericidal activity <50% killed bacteria. The weak antibacterial activities could be significantly increased by crosslinking them to three-dimensional networks. As a result, all the hydrogels possessed strong killing efficiencies of at least 68% and were able to maintain this activity even at low hydrogel volume fractions. These findings are very promising for the development of new antibacterial materials for medical applications, for example, stent coatings.     

Strongly basic anion exchanger Lewatit MonoPlus SR-7 for acid,reactive, and direct dyes removal from wastewaters

The strongly basic anion exchanger Lewatit MonoPlus SR-7 (SR-7) of polystyrene matrix was applied for removal of the textile dyes such as C.I. Acid Orange 7 (AO7), C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB5), and C.I. Direct Blue 71 (DB71). The dyes sorption on SR-7 was examined based on the initial dye concentration, phase contact time, type of additives and their concentrations, and solution pH. The equilibrium and kinetic characteristics of the dyes uptake by SR-7 followed the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order model. The dyes sorption in the column system was also investigated.     

The role of social media in enhancing guanxi and perceived effectiveness of E-commerce institutional mechanisms in online marketplace

This study extends literature on e-commerce trust and repurchase intentions by exploring the role of swift guanxi and the perceived effectiveness of institutional mechanisms (PEEIM) in the context of a Chinese e-marketplace – Taobao. We explore how Taobao’s social media technologies (online reviews and instant messenger) can improve swift guanxi and PEEIM by increasing online interactivity and presence. We find that buyers’ PEEIM negatively moderates trust in online sellers and repurchase intentions. We show that swift guanxi, created by social media’s interactivity and presence, enhances trust, which further increases repurchase intentions. Theoretical and managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.