1. Dispelling myths and misconceptions about the treatment of acute hyperkalemia
Arnav A Gupta, Michael Self, Matthew Mueller, Gabriel Wardi, Christopher Tainter Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Feb;52:85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.11.030. Epub 2021 Nov 27.
Hyperkalemia represents a widespread and potentially lethal condition that affects millions of people across their lives. Despite the prevalence and severity of the condition, there are no consensus guidelines on the treatment of hyperkalemia or even a standard definition. Herein, we provide a succinct review of what we believe to be the most significant misconceptions encountered in the emergency care of hyperkalemia, examine current available literature, and discuss practical points on several modalities of hyperkalemia treatment. Additionally, we review the pathophysiology of the electrocardiographic effects of hyperkalemia and how intravenous calcium preparations can antagonize these effects. We conclude each section with recommendations to aid emergency physicians in making safe and efficacious choices for the treatment of acute hyperkalemia.
2. N-bromo-dimethylhydantoin polystyrene resin for water microbial decontamination
Oren Aviv, Shady Farah, Nir Amir, Natalia Laout, Stanislav Ratner, Abraham J Domb Biomacromolecules. 2015 Apr 13;16(4):1442-7. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.5b00249. Epub 2015 Mar 12.
N-bromo-dimethylhydantoin polystyrene beads were synthesized and tested as antimicrobial agents for water microbial decontamination. Optimization of synthetic process was thoroughly investigated, including solvents used, ratio of reactants and reaction conditions, kilogram scale production, and detailed spectral analysis. The microbial inactivation efficiency was studied according to the NSF-231 Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers against Escherichia coli and MS2 phage. The tested resins maintained their activity for 550 L. Thus, N-bromo-dimethylhydantoin-polystyrene beads synthesized under optimized conditions at kilogram quantities have a potential use in water purification filters.
3. Surface molecular imprinting on polystyrene resin for selective adsorption of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid
Yue Sun, Weisheng Zheng Chemosphere. 2021 Apr;269:128762. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128762. Epub 2020 Oct 27.
Using chloromethylated polystyrene resin, N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as support, functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively, the molecularly imprinted resin (MIR) and non-imprinted resin (NIR) were fabricated by the combination of atom transfer radical polymerization and surface imprinting technique for the selective adsorption of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HB) from aqueous solutions. The prepared adsorbents were characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The adsorption processes of the 4-HB with MIR and NIR followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, and the adsorption isotherms were appreciably described by the Langmuir model. Furthermore, the adsorption efficiencies of MIR and NIR for different compounds in single and binary solutions proved that MIR exhibited high adsorption capacity and favorable selectivity toward 4-HB over other structurally related organic compounds (i.e., benzoic acid, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, phenol, and 2-hydroxynaphthalene). In addition, MIR could effectively remove 4-HB from a simulated effluent in a dynamic adsorption experiment. This study illustrates in-depth perspectives on the adsorption mechanisms of 4-HB onto MIR; interactions between the adsorbate and adsorbent were proposed based on the adsorption behaviours and instrumental analyses. The resulting MIR is a promising material for the interference-free adsorbent in the selective adsorption of 4-HB from mixed solutions.