[Severe hypereosinophilia as a paraneoplastic syndrome in a patient with differentiated thyroid cancer] / Hipereosinofilia severa como síndrome paraneoplásico en un paciente con cáncer diferenciado de tiroides.

In solid tumors, hypereosinophilia is a rare phenomenon and is mainly associated with mucin-secreting carcinomas. Thyroid tumors associated with neutrophilia and/or eosinophilia have been described exclusively in patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer. Eosinophilia associated with papillary thyroid cancer is extremely rare and there are very few cases currently described. It has been suggested that three cytokines, namely interleukin-3 (IL-3), interleukin-5 (IL-5), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), may act as a peptide potential eosinophilic. To date, only three patients with differentiated thyroid cancer associated with eosinophilia have been reported, two of the papillary type and one of the medullary type. A 48-year-old patient consulted in 2022 due to bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy of 3 years' duration associated with wasting syndrome and hypereosinophilia. PET CT was requested, which showed hypermetabolic focus in the right thyroid lobe and lymph node, lung, bone, and liver metastases; Thyroid ultrasound showing a nodule of high suspicion of malignancy and a conglomerate of lymphadenopathy in the right lobe with positive needle wash for thyroglobulin. Hypereosinophilia was evaluated with initial leukocytosis values of GB 30,310/mm3 (10,608/mm3 of eosinophils) to maximum values of GB 77,090/mm3 (eosinophils 20,814/mm3). It was interpreted as paraneoplastic syndrome and corticosteroid therapy was started at immunosuppressive doses without response. Our observations presented in this article are in line with most studies reflecting that paraneoplastic hypereosinophilia is characterized by more advanced disease and poor prognosis.

En los tumores sólidos la hipereosinofilia es un fenómeno raro y se asocia principalmente con carcinomas secretores de mucina. Los tumores tiroideos asociados a neutrofilia y/o eosinofilia se han descrito exclusivamente en pacientes con cáncer anaplásico de tiroides. La eosinofilia asociada con cáncer papilar de tiroides es extremadamente rara y se encuentran muy pocos casos descriptos actualmente. Se ha sugerido que tres citocinas, a saber, la interleucina-3 (IL-3), la interleucina-5 (IL-5) y el factor estimulante de colonias de granulocitos y macrófagos (GM-CSF), pueden actuar como un péptido eosinofílico potencial. Hasta el momento solo se han reportado tres pacientes con cáncer diferenciado de tiroides asociados a eosinofilia, dos de tipo papilar y uno de tipo medular. Paciente de 48 años consultó en el año 2022 por adenopatías cervicales bilaterales de 3 años de evolución asociado a síndrome consuntivo e hipereosinofilia. Se solicitó PET CT que evidenció foco hipermetabólico en lóbulo tiroideo derecho y metástasis ganglionares, pulmonares, óseas y hepáticas; ecografía tiroidea que evidencia en lóbulo derecho nódulo de alta sospecha de malignidad y conglomerado de adenopatías con lavado de aguja positivo para tiroglobulina. Evaluada la hipereosinofilia con valores iniciales de leucocitosis de GB 30310/mm3 (10608/mm3 de eosinófilos) hasta valores máximos de GB 77090/mm3 (eosinófilos 20814/mm3) se interpretó como síndrome paraneoplásico y se inició corticoterapia en dosis inmunosupresoras sin respuesta. Nuestras observaciones presentadas en este artículo están en línea con la mayoría de los estudios que reflejan que la hipereosinofilia paraneoplásica se caracteriza por una enfermedad más avanzada y un mal pronóstico.

Enhancing c-Si Solar Cell Efficiency in the UV Region: Photophysical Insights into the Use of Eu3+ Complexes for Down-Shifting Layer Applications.

[Eu(3DPIQC)3] (where DPIQC = 3-(diphenyl phosphoryl)-1-isoquinolinecarboxylate), a luminescent europium complex with antenna ligands, has been carefully embedded within a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) matrix and the resulting material was used to prepare films used as luminescent down-shifting layers (LDSLs) for crystalline Si-based solar cells. The films were characterized using photoluminescence spectroscopy, atomic force spectroscopy (AFM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. The AFM analysis shows films with low surface roughness, while fluorescence microscopy revealed that the Eu complex embedded in PVB assumed a spheroidal configuration, a morphology especially beneficial for optical applications. The so-obtained LDSLs were utilized as energy converters in c-Si solar cells to enhance the utilization of high-energy photons, thereby improving their overall efficiency. The determination of photovoltaic parameters carried out before and after the deposition of the LDSLs on the c-Si cells confirms a positive effect on the efficiency of the cell. The Jsc increases from 121.6 mA/cm2 to 124.9 mA/cm2, and the open circuit voltage (Voc) is found to be unrelated to the complex concentration in the films. The fill factor (FF) remains constant with the Eu concentration. The EQE curves indicate an enhancement in the performance of the photovoltaic cells within the UV region of the spectrum for all coated devices. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was also carried out in order to analyze the effect of the Eu complex in the charge transfer process of the devices.

Optimization of N-PERT Solar Cell under Atacama Desert Solar Spectrum.

In the Atacama Desert, the spectral distribution of solar radiation differs from the global standard, showing very high levels of irradiation with a particularly high ultraviolet content. Additionally, the response of photovoltaic (PV) technologies is spectrally dependent, so it is necessary to consider local conditions and type of technology to optimize PV devices since solar cells are usually designed for maximum performance under standard testing conditions (STC). In this work, we determined geometrical and doping parameters to optimize the power of an n-type bifacial passivated emitter and rear totally diffused solar cell (n-PERT). Six parameters (the thicknesses of cell, emitter, and back surface field, as well as doping concentration of emitter, base, and back surface field) were used to optimize the cell under the Atacama Desert spectrum (AM 1.08) and under standard conditions (AM 1.5) through a genetic algorithm. To validate the model, the calculated performance of the n-PERT cell was compared with experimental measurements. Computed and experimental efficiencies showed a relative difference below 1% under STC conditions. Through the optimization process, we found that different geometry and doping concentrations are necessary for cells to be used in the Atacama Desert. Reducing the thickness of all layers and increasing doping can lead to a relative increment of 5.4% in the cell efficiency under AM 1.08. Finally, we show the potential effect of metallization and the viability of reducing the thicknesses of the emitter and the back surface field.

Response to Static Magnetic Field-Induced Stress in Scenedesmus obliquus and Nannochloropsis gaditana.

Magnetic fields in biological systems is a promising research field; however, their application for microalgae has not been fully exploited. This work aims to measure the enzymatic activity and non-enzymatic activity of two microalgae species in terms of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and carotenoids, respectively, in response to static magnetic fields-induced stress. Two magnet configurations (north and south) and two exposure modes (continuous and pulse) were applied. Two microalgae species were considered, the Scenedesmus obliquus and Nannochloropsis gaditana. The SOD activity increased by up to 60% in S. obliquus under continuous exposure. This trend was also found for CAT in the continuous mode. Conversely, under the pulse mode, its response was hampered as the SOD and CAT were reduced. For N. gaditana, SOD increased by up to 62% with the south configuration under continuous exposure. In terms of CAT, there was a higher activity of up to 19%. Under the pulsed exposure, SOD activity was up to 115%. The CAT in this microalga was increased by up to 29%. For N. gaditana, a significant increase of over 40% in violaxanthin production was obtained compared to the control, when the microalgae were exposed to SMF as a pulse. Depending on the exposure mode and species, this methodology can be used to produce oxidative stress and obtain an inhibitory or enhanced response in addition to the significant increase in the production of antioxidant pigments.

Comparación entre uso y no uso de antibióticos profilácticos en pancreatitis aguda grave: ensayo clínico aleatorizado: reporte preliminar / Comparison between use and non-use of prophylactic antibiotics in severe acute pancreatitis: randomized clinical trial: preliminary report

Resumen Introducción: La pancreatitis aguda es una enfermedad frecuente en el país, con una tasa de mortalidad de 10%-30%. La administración profiláctica de antibióticos ha sido parte del tratamiento de pancreatitis aguda grave (PAG), por la teórica prevención de complicaciones infecciosas y reducción de mortalidad. Sin embargo, la evidencia científica disponible es controversial. Objetivo: Demostrar que los antibióticos profilácticos no disminuyen las complicaciones locales y/o sistémicas, requerimiento de Unidad de Paciente Crítico (UPC), ni mortalidad en PAG. Definimos PAG como APACHE II ≥ 8 o PCR ≥ 150 o falla multiorgánica. Material y Método: Ensayo clínico aleatorizado, con aleatorización simple mediante tabla electrónica (uso o no uso de antibióticos profilácticos) de pacientes con PAG. En el grupo que usó antibióticos profilácticos se utilizó ciprofloxacino y metronidazol por 7 días. El resto del manejo no tuvo variación. Resultados: n = 71, dos grupos aleatorizados; Grupo 1 (n = 35), sin uso de antibióticos profilácticos, y grupo 2 (n = 36) con uso de profilaxis antibiótica. 12 pacientes (16%) requirieron UPC; 6 pacientes del grupo 1, y 6 del grupo 2 (p = 0,957). Siete pacientes (9,8%) tuvieron algún tipo de complicación, 3 en el grupo 1 y 4 en el grupo 2 (p = 0,516). El promedio de estancia hospitalaria fue 18,2 ± 9,5 días en el grupo 1, y 22,6 ± 29.2 días en el grupo 2 (p = 0,495). Mortalidad: 1 paciente (1,41%) en el grupo 2 (p = 0,493). Conclusión: En este reporte preliminar, el uso de antibióticos profilácticos en PAG no mostró reducir las complicaciones, necesidad de cama en UPC, ni la mortalidad.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is a common disease in the country, with a mortality rate of 10%-30%. The prophylactic administration of antibiotics has been part of the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), due to the theoretical prevention of infectious complications and mortality reduction. However, the available scientific evidence is controversial. Objective: To demonstrate that prophylactic antibiotics do not reduce local and/or systemic complications, critical patient unit (CPU) requirement, or mortality in SAP. We define SAP as APACHE II ≥ 8 or PCR ≥ 150° or multiorgan failure. Material and Method: Randomized clinical trial, with simple randomization by electronic table (use or non-use of prophylactic antibiotics) of patients with SAP. In the group that used prophylactic antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and metronidazole were used for 7 days. Results: n = 71, two randomized groups; Group 1 (n = 35), without the use of prophylactic antibiotics, and group 2 (n = 36) with the use of antibiotic prophylaxis. 12 patients (16%) required CPU; 6 patients from group 1, and 6 from group 2 (p = 0.957). Seven patients (9.8%) had some type of complication, 3 in group 1 and 4 in group 2 (p = 0.516). The average hospital stay was 18.2 ± 9.5 days in group 1, and 22.6 ± 29.2 days in group 2 (p = 0.495). Mortality: 1 patient (1.41%) in group 2 (p = 0.493). Conclusion: In this preliminary report, the use of prophylactic antibiotics in SAP was not shown to reduce complications, need for bed in CPU, or mortality.

Pie diabético, posible marcador de riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular en DM2 / Diabetic foot, possible risk marker of cardiovascular disease in DM2

Mientras que el síndrome de pie diabético (SPD) se define como "una úlcera del pie y/o tobillo, asociado con neuropatía, isquemia e infección" (Organización Mundial de la Salud), se considera pie de riesgo a aquel con características que aumentan la probabilidad de desarrollar un SPD, presente en el 15% de diabéticos durante el curso de su enfermedad. Pinto et al. demostraron mayor prevalencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular (FRCV), de marcadores subclínicos de enfermedad CV, eventos CV y cerebrovasculares previos y nuevos en pacientes con DM y complicaciones de pie (vs DM-pie sano)

Análisis de internaciones en el servicio de clínica médica, impacto de la diabetes mellitus / Analysis of hospitalizations at the internal medicine unit, impact of diabetes mellitus

Uno de cada cuatro pacientes admitidos en un nosocomio tiene diagnóstico previo de diabetes (DM), siendo frecuentes los reingresos hospitalarios en un mismo año. La internación puede relacionarse con una complicación de la DM o más comúnmente con otra patología

Descripción de una serie de casos de pacientes con diabetes secundaria a acromegalia e hipercortisolismo endógeno: características clínicas y de laboratorio / Description of a series of patients with diabetes secondary to acromegaly and endogenous hypercortisolism: clinical and laboratory features

La regulación de la glucemia requiere el accionar de distintas hormonas, además de insulina. A través de mecanismos de insulinopenia o insulinorresistencia (IR), como en la acromegalia (Acro) o el síndrome de Cushing, las endocrinopatías pueden precipitar estados de hiperglucemia. La presencia de diabetes mellitus (DM) aumenta la morbimortalidad de estos pacientes, por lo cual es fundamental tanto el tratamiento como el seguimiento de la enfermedad subyacente