Clinical application of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in chronic heart failure

The review of literature discusses pathogenetic aspects of chronic heart failure and post-infarction remodelling in the heart. The focus is on the role of neurohormonal activation and the important role of aldosterone. There is data on the efficacy and safety of drugs belonging to mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists obtained in the course of randomized clinical trials. Different aspects of clinical application of the selective aldosterone receptor blocker eplerenone are emphasized. The application in clinical practice is supported by research findings

Porous Silicon and Thermoelectrics

The motivation for, and performance of, silicon nanostructures including porous silicon in thermoelectrics is reviewed. A high thermoelectric figure of merit ZT ~1 has been achieved with a single silicon nanowire and ZT ~0.5 for a porous nanowire array. Very high Seebeck coefficients (3.2 mVK−1) have been achieved in compressed nanoparticles. Data is also presented relevant to two key factors limiting performance in bulk powders. The original size of silicon particles has a significant effect on the thermal conductivities of densified pellets. The intrinsic low electric conductivity can be improved by doping either nanocrystals or surface conductive ligands