The relationship between academics' strategic research agendas and their preferences for basic research, applied research, or experimental development.

In this study, we assess the association between academics' research agendas and their preferences for basic research, applied research, or experimental development. Using a sample of Mexican academics working in some of the country's most research-oriented universities, we identify three clusters. The largest is composed of applied research-oriented academics, the second largest is composed of basic research-oriented academics, and the smallest is composed of academics who engage in both basic and applied research, and experimental development. The strategic research agendas of the three clusters are distinguished from each other along four main dimensions: Divergence, Discovery, Mentor Influence, and Social Orientation. These findings show that strategic research agendas are associated with preferences for basic research, applied research, or experimental development, but only to some extent. We also extend the Multi-Dimensional Research Agendas Inventory - Revised, a widely used instrument for measuring strategic research agendas, by adding a new dimension, "Government," and validating the instrument in a new context. We also make the scale available in Spanish for use by academics, practitioners, managers, and administrators in Spanish-speaking countries.

Aspectos relevantes en la realización de la endoscopia digestiva: propuestas basadas en la evidencia. Curso ACHED 2013 / Relevant aspects of digestive endoscopy. Evidence-based suggestions. Chilean Association of Digestive Endoscopy (ACHED), Course 2013

Digestive endoscopy is a complex tool for diagnosis and treatment, with continuous development both in technical aspects and in their application for the different pathologies where this technique is required. Therefore, a continuous education program is necessary for the practitioner using this technique. With the purpose of reaching an agreement between different aspects of the performance of these procedures and also generating proposals for its application that are useful for the physicians of this area of expertise, during 2013 the Chilean Association of Digestive Endoscopy (ACHED) developed a workshop called ‘Relevant aspects of digestive endoscopy. Evidence-based suggestions’. This workshop was attended by gastroenterologists and trainee practitioners, who worked in groups during a period of two months where they reviewed available evidence to answer several questions relating to milestones and lesions that need to be described in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, the preparation of the GI endoscopy report, technical aspects and quality measures in colonoscopy. This review resulted in proposals that were analyzed and agreed on in the form of recommendations presented for further analysis and discussion amongst endoscopic teams in our country.

La endoscopia digestiva es una herramienta de diagnóstico y tratamiento médico compleja, en continuo desarrollo tanto en lo técnico como en los conceptos de manejo de las patologías en las que se utiliza.Por lo tanto, es deseable una estrategia de formación continua del profesional que la realiza. Con el objetivode consensuar diferentes aspectos en la realización de estos procedimientos y generar propuestas de manejoque sean de utilidad para todos los médicos involucrados en esta especialidad, la Asociación Chilenade Endoscopia Digestiva (ACHED) realizó durante el año 2013 un curso taller denominado “Aspectosrelevantes en la realización de la endoscopia digestiva. Propuestas basadas en la evidencia”. Este cursoconvocó a gastroenterólogos y médicos en formación de la especialidad que conformaron grupos de trabajoque durante 2 meses revisaron la evidencia disponible para responder diversas preguntas en relación a los hitos y lesiones a describir en endoscopia digestiva alta (EDA), la realización del informe en EDA, aspectos técnicos y medidores de calidad en colonoscopia. La revisión les permitió generar propuestas que fuerondiscutidas y consensuadas en recomendaciones que se proponen para su discusión por los equipos endoscópicos de nuestro país.

Terapia de hepatitis autoinmune no respondedora a esteroides / Autoimmune hepatitis with no response to steroids

Autoimmune hepatitis refractory to corticod therapy is infrequent. Generally, it occurs in severe cases and in young patients. There are several treatment options, including higher doses of the regular medications and, eventually, the use of other immunosuppressive drugs with higher potency, such as mycophenolate, cyclosporin, tacrolimus, among others.

La hepatitis autoinmune refractaria a terapia corticoidal afortunadamente es poco frecuente. Generalmente ocurre en casos de presentación más grave y en pacientes jóvenes. Existen varios esquemas para su enfrentamiento, incluyendo mayores dosis de terapia habitual y, eventualmente, el uso de otros fármacos inmunosupresores de mayor potencia como micofenolato, ciclosporina, tacrolimus y otros.

Limbic encephalitis associated with immature teratoma.

Paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS) includes rare manifestations of different forms of cancer, in which the specific syndrome of limbic encephalitis can be found. This report describes a case of a previously healthy young lady who developed severe limbic encephalitis associated with an immature teratoma. After surgical treatment, the patient showed rapid progressive neurological improvement with complete regression of the symptoms during follow-up. Although rare, correct recognition and management of PNS is of great importance especially considering the fact that PNS can carry the risk of permanent disability or even death, even when associated with tumors in which high cure rates are expected.

Síndrome de Poems: caso clínico / Poems syndrome: report of one case

Poems syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrine abnormality, M-protein, plasma cell dyscrasia, and skin lesions) is a plasma cell dyscrasia whose pathogenesis is unknown. We report a 60 years old woman that presented a tetraparesis caused by a sensitive motor polyneuropathy. The subsequent work up revealed an IgA type monoclonal gammopathy, hepatomegaly, hyperestrogenism, primary adrenal failure, hypothyroidism, hyperpigmentation and erythematous lesions in the skin and ankle edema. The patient is being treated with prednisone 0.5 mg/kg and levothyroxine 100 Ág/day, with partial remission of her symptoms.

Smear layer influence on the apical seal of four different obturation techniques.

The purpose of this study was the in vitro evaluation of four techniques for the obturation of the root canal system in the presence or absence of a smear layer. Ninety-six human upper central incisors were instrumented using the pressureless crown-down technique and irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl. The teeth that had the smear layer removed were irrigated with this solution in combination with 17% EDTA. The teeth were obturated with lateral condensation with an accessory or standardized cone as the main cone, with vertical condensation of warm gutta-percha or with thermoplasticized injectable gutta-percha. Apical leakage was assessed by measuring the linear penetration of methylene blue dye with a stereomicroscope. The results showed no significant differences in the degree of leakage with and without the smear layer when the samples were considered as a whole. However, when the groups were assessed separately, teeth in the lateral condensation with an accessory main cone group and teeth in the thermoplasticized group leaked less with a smear layer present. In contrast teeth with lateral condensation and a standardized main cone leaked more with a smear layer present. In the vertical condensation groups there was no difference attributable to the smear layer.

Reference values of immunoglobulin E in umbilical cord sera.

The National Program for the Prevention of Allergic Diseases, including the determination of IgE concentrations in umbilical cord serum at birth began in 1986. Research was conducted to determine normal umbilical cord serum values in Cuban children since no previous research had been performed. The values consulted corresponded to children from other countries with different characteristics from ours. A total of 900 neonates were examined, excluding those whose mothers had been affected by factors that increase serum IgE concentrations. IgE values higher than 10 IU/ml were also regarded as abnormal. The microELISA-IgE technique, a heterogenous immunoenzymatic sandwich type assay, was used. As reference values, a 0.64 mean, 0.06 lower limit and a 6.83 upper limit were obtained.

Prevention of allergic diseases and IgE dosification in cord sera.

In 1986, a Program on Prevention of Allergic Diseases was initiated in our country which was possible on account of the organization conditions of our health system. The program includes IgE measurement in umbilical cord serum by means of an ultramicroanalytic technique for IgE quantification. This is an heterogeneous sandwich-type immunoassay that requires only 10 microliters of reactive on each reaction step and its processing is carried out on the Cuban SUMA equipment. Two groups of children were selected and followed-up: group I included 80 one-year-old infants and group II included 60 18-months-old infants. Both groups followed hypoallergenic diets and had minimal exposure to aeroallergens within their microenvironment. Results were compared with those of respective control groups. Compliance of both groups with the prophylactic measures brought about a reduction in the existence of allergic diseases and a comparison with the control groups offered a statistically significant difference (p less than 0.001). Similarly, incidence of asthma was found more reduced in groups I and II than in the control groups (p less than 0.001). Within the groups treated under the Program on Prevention of Allergic Diseases, IgE values were lower, while the control groups exhibited a higher number of infants with figures of 200 IU/ml or more (p less than 0.05). Our results support the usefulness of preventive measures in avoiding the presence of atopic diseases.