On the efficiency of perovskite solar cells with a back reflector: effect of a hole transport material.

Organometal halide perovskites are promising, high-performance absorbers in solar cells. However, the light-harvesting performance of these devices is still limited by excessive charge carrier recombination. Charge carrier management can be improved, taking into account the transport properties of layers surrounding the absorber. In particular, the choice of an appropriate hole-transport material (HTM) could provide a path towards increasing the device performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The Lambertian reflection on the cell's back-surface reflector could increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs as well. Taking into account these facts, we analyse the absorptance and the PCE of a perovskite thin-film solar cell with the Lambertian reflection on the cell's back-surface reflector for various organic and inorganic HTMs. The analysis is done by means of the Monte-Carlo ray tracing simulations complemented by the transfer-matrix method to account for the interference phenomenon in the local generation rate G of carriers in a thin-film multilayer system. This function is employed further in the transport equations to calculate the current-voltage characteristics of the cell. We show that wide band gap HTMs, that possess negligible absorption, increase the photocurrent in the perovskite, passing reflected photons from the back reflector. In contrast, at the same perovskite thickness the PSC gains less photocurrent with narrow band gap HTMs, where an excessive non-radiative recombination takes place. Our analysis demonstrates that the optimal thickness of the solar cell with the typical absorber CH3NH3PbI3 is ∼300 nm, providing the maximal efficiency ∼18.8% for the wide band gap HTM (CuSCN) at the moderate absorber purity (the diffusion length D ∼ 1 µm).

Mastopatía cirrótica / Mastopathy caused by liver cirrhosis

Introducción. Se han descrito diferentes causas de patología inflamatoria mamaria. En ocasiones, existe la necesidad de plantear un diagnóstico diferencial y descartar un carcinoma mamario. Caso clínico. Mujer de 63 años con antecedentes de cirrosis. Presenta mama izquierda aumentada de tamaño, eritematosa y con edema con fóvea. Tras tratamiento antibiótico no existe mejoría. La ecografía, mamografía y biopsia resultan negativas. Finalmente, se plantea el proceso como una descompensación de la cirrosis, a pesar de su manifestación unilateral. Tras tratamiento con diuréticos, observamos una resolución del proceso. Conclusión. El diagnóstico diferencial en patología de la mama en ocasiones resulta muy dificultoso. Además, existen patologías que requieren un manejo rápido dado su mal pronóstico. El caso presentado muestra cómo en la búsqueda de un diagnóstico se deben considerar todas las causas posibles, pero además pensar en los antecedentes médicos del paciente ya que pueden influir o ser la causa del proceso (AU)

Introduction. Various causes of inflammatory breast disease have been described and sometimes a differential diagnosis is required to rule out breast carcinoma. Case report. A 63-year-old woman with a history of cirrhosis had an enlarged left breast, erythema, and edema. Antibiotic treatment produced no improvement. The results of ultrasound, mammography and biopsy were negative. Finally, the process was diagnosed as a decompensation of cirrhosis, despite its unilateral manifestation. The process resolved with diuretic therapy. Conclusion. The differential diagnosis of breast disease is sometimes extremely difficult. Some diseases require rapid treatment due to their poor prognosis. The case presented here illustrates how every possible cause of the entity and the patient's medical history should be considered because they could influence or even cause the process (AU)

Hypervirulence of a rough variant of the Mycobacterium abscessus type strain.

We isolated a rough variant of Mycobacterium abscessus CIP 104536T during experimental infection of mice. We show that this variant has lost the ability to produce glycopeptidolipids, is hyperlethal for C57BL/6 mice infected intravenously, and induces a strong tumor necrosis factor-alpha response by murine monocyte-derived macrophages.

[Rhabdomyosarcoma of soft palate. A case on purpose]. / Rabdomiosarcoma de paladar blando. A propósito de un caso.

The rabdomiosarcoma (RMS) are infrequent tumors. They are principally described in infancy and located in 35% of the cases in head and neck. The nasopharynx localisation is relatively rare, being in these cases the tongue, palate and oral mucosa the preferent places of establishment. Classically the patient presented very low standard healing with surgery and radiotherapy. The introduction in the middle 70 of systematic chimiotherapy as complementary treatment, improved the survival rate in large scale. In this article the case of an adolescent patient, who presented a RMS at the level of the soft palate, the diagnostic procedure and the therapeutic decision adopted, after revision of the last studies at this respect, are described.

Rabdomiosarcoma de paladar blando. A propósito de un caso / Rabdomiosarcoma of soft palate. A case on purpose

Los rabdomiosarcomas (RMS) son tumores poco frecuentes. Descritos principalmente en la infancia y localizados en un 35% de los casos en cabeza y cuello. La localización orofaríngea es relativamente rara, siendo en estos casos la lengua, paladar, y mucosa bucal los lugares preferentes de asentamiento. Clásicamente los pacientes presentaban tasas muy bajas de curación con cirugía más radioterapia. La introducción a mediados de los años 70 de la quimioterapia sistémica como tratamiento complementario ha mejorado la supervivencia de manera importante. En este artículo se describe el caso de un paciente adolescente que presentó un RMS a nivel del paladar blando, el procedimiento diagnóstico y la decisión terapéutica adoptada tras revisión de los últimos estudios al respecto

The rabdomiosarcoma (RMS) are infrequent tumors. They are principally described in infancy and located in 35% of the cases in head and neck. The nasopharynx localisation is relatively rafe, being in these cases the tongue, palate and oral mucosa the preferent places of establishment. Classically the patient presented very low standard healing with surgery and radiotherapy. The introduction in the middle 70 of systematic chimiotherapy as complementary treatment, improved the survival rate in large scale. In this article the case of an adolescent patient, who presented a RMS at the level of the soft palate, the diagnostic procedure and the therapeutic decision adopted, after revision of the last studies at this respect, are described

[Malignant external otitis. A pattern to bear always in mind]. / Otitis externa maligna. Un cuadro a tener siempre presente.

Malignant external otitis (M.E.O.) is a severe and rare affection, consisting in an infection of the external auditory canal (EAC) whit extension and compromising the structures of the skull base, produced mainly by Ps. Aeruginosa in patients affected by diabetes type II of long evolution and or deterioration of the immunity system. We present a case of a patient affected by this pathology, commenting the caracteristics of this disease, how we arrived to the diagnosis, and the evolution of the case with an exclusively medical treatment.

Otitis externa maligna. Un cuadro a tener siempre presente / Malignant external otitis. Pattern to bear always in mind

La otitis externa maligna (OEM) es una afección grave y poco frecuente que consiste en una infección del conducto auditivo externo (CAE) con extensión y compromiso de estructuras de la base de cráneo producida mayoritariamente por Ps. Aeruginosa en pacientes que presentan diabetes tipo II de larga evolución y/o deterioro del sistema inmunitario.Presentamos el caso de un paciente afecto de esta patología, comentando las características de esta enfermedad, como se llegó al diagnóstico y la evolución del caso con tratamiento exclusivamente médico

Malignant external otitis (M.E.O.) is a severe and rare affection, consisting in an infection of the external auditory canal (EAC) whit extension and compromising the structures of the skull base, produced mainly by Ps. Aeruginosa in patients affected by diabetes type II of long evolution and or deterioration of the immunity system. We present a case of a patient affected by this pathology, commenting the caracteristics of this disease, how we arrived to the diagnosis, and the evolution of the case with an exclusively medical treatment

[Big profound cervical abscess in a diabetic patient]. / Gran absceso cervical profundo en paciente diabético.

With antibiotics and an increasing dental care and hygiene, the profound neck spaces infections have decreased their incidence. Nevertheless we can found them in the clinical practice, and they present a big morbidity and severe complications. We present in this paper a case of profound cervical abscess in a diabetic patient, discussing the clinical and therapeutics aspects.

Lipomas submucosos de colon / Submucous lipomas of the colon

No disponible

Comparative study of a portable prothrombin time monitor employing three different systems in oral anticoagulant units.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the portable coagulometer CoaguChek (Roche Diagnostics) as a prothrombin time (PT) monitor, and to correlate capillary blood results with those of three different routine methods used for monitoring oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT): capillary, plasma and whole blood samples. Three hospitals participated in the study with a total of 235 patients on OAT. The international normalized ratio (INR) results obtained with CoaguChek were compared with those obtained using each of the routine methods. The study presents a good correlation between the PT monitor and the three methods studied: r = 0.9745 (hospital A), r = 0.9283 (hospital B), r = 0.9136 (hospital C). A simplified concordance test of the methods results in a nine-field comparison table showing concordances of 87.2, 85.7 and 68.4%, respectively. The absolute difference (mean +/- SD) between laboratory A and CoaguChek INRs was 0.0571 +/- 0.2042, with values of 0.04286 +/- 0.3906 for laboratory B and 0.6986 +/- 0.6170 for laboratory C. These results confirm that CoaguChek could be used as a new method for oral anticoagulant monitoring, and is in best agreement with the capillary blood PT system.

The effect of acenocoumarol on hemorheological parameters.

The effect of acenocoumarol on hemorheological variables was measured in 35 non-valvular chronic atrial fibrillation patients before starting oral anticoagulant therapy (basal) and one and two months after beginning treatment (INR-2,3). Fibrinogen increased significantly from the basal situation: 332+/-99 mg/dl to 386+/-96 mg/dl in the second month (p<0.05). However, this small increase in fibrinogen is not large enough to mediate other rheological changes, and whole blood filterability, blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and erythrocyte deformability and aggregability remained unchanged after treatment. These results suggest that acenocoumarol does not affect rheological parameters and can therefore be used as a "neutral drug" for rheological studies in cardiovascular patients under oral anticoagulant therapy.

Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma associated with oral anticoagulant therapy.

A 54-year-old woman who was on anticoagulant treatment with acenocoumarol for a mitral prothesis developed a cervical spinal epidural hematoma, probably triggered by coughing fits together with supratherapeutic anticoagulation. Because of the subacute evolution of the hematoma, it was not diagnosed until the patient was admitted to the hospital with profuse hemorrhages. Given the subacute nature of the hematoma, along with the favorable evolution, conservative treatment with dexamethasone was decided upon, and it was resolved with almost no sequelae. This unusual clinical entity definitely should be suspected in patients on anticoagulants who complain of severe localized neck pain, most often with radicular irradiation.

Heterogeneous lack of expression of the tumour suppressor PTEN protein in human neoplastic tissues.

PTEN, a tumour suppressor gene located at chromosome 10q23 and commonly mutated or deleted in a variety of tumours, encodes a dual-specific/phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3) phosphatase. We report the generation of an anti-PTEN monoclonal antibody (MAb) that recognises an epitope at the C-terminus of PTEN, and describe the heterogeneous lack of expression of the PTEN protein in human tumour tissues, as demonstrated by immunohistochemical methods. Our anti-PTEN MAb provides a useful tool for the study of PTEN protein expression in tumour samples, in the search for tumour prognostic molecular markers.

[Otogenic cerebral abscess: a persistent problem]. / Absceso cerebral otógeno: un problema persistente.

A young man with otitis media and cholesteatoma of the left ear developed secondary cerebral abscess. The clinical debut was non-specific, with headache, mild fever, and mild persistent otalgia in spite of early antibiotic treatment. Studies revealed a cerebral abscess, so ENT surgery in collaboration with the neurosurgery department was decided. This case illustrates that clinical manifestations in such cases can be mild and highlights the need to exclude this type of serious pathology.

Absceso cerebral otógeno: un problema persistente / Otogenic cerebral abscess: a persistent problem

Presentamos el caso de un joven afecto de otitis media colesteatomatosa de oído izquierdo que desarrolló un absceso cerebral piógeno secundario. El debut clínico fue muy inespecífico, con cefalea holocraneal, febrícula y otalgia leve persistente a pesar del tratamiento antibiótico instaurado precozmente. Se evidenció un absceso cerebral tras pruebas de imagen, por lo que decidimos un abordaje conjunto junto a neurocirugía. Este caso es muy ilustrativo, de lo larvada que puede ser la clínica de estos procesos intracraneales y de la necesidad de descartar este tipo de patología, por la gravedad de la, misma (AU)

A young man with otitis media and cholesteatoma of the left ear developed secondary cerebral abscess. The clinical debut was non-specific, with headache, mild fever, and mild persistent otalgia in spite of early antibiotic treatment. Studies revealed a cerebral abscess, so ENT surgery in collaboration with the neurosurgery department was decided. This case illustrates that clinical manifestations in such cases can be mild and highlights the need to exclude this type of serious pathology (AU)

Genetic alterations and oxidative metabolism in sporadic colorectal tumors from a Spanish community.

Deletions of loci on chromosomes 5q, 17p, 18q, and 22q, together with the incidence of p53 mutations and amplification of the double minute-2 gene were investigated in the sporadic colorectal tumors of 44 patients from a Spanish community. Chromosome deletions were analyzed by means of loss of heterozygosity analysis using a restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Allelic losses were also detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of a polymorphic site in intron 2 of the p53 gene. The percentages of genetic deletions on the screened chromosomes were 39.3% (5q), 58.3% (17p), 40.9% (18q), and 40% (22q). Mutations in p53 exons 2-9 were examined by PCR-SSCP analysis and direct sequencing of the mutated region. Twenty of 44 tumor samples (45.45%) showed mutations at various exons except for exons 2, 3, and 9, the most frequent changes being G-->T transversion and C-->T transition. Because oxygen-free radicals play a role in the carcinogenesis process, we evaluated the oxidative status of the colorectal tumors. Antioxidant activities, lipid peroxidation, and DNA-damaged product concentrations in colon tumors and normal mucosa were compared. In tumor tissues, superoxide dismutase and catalase decreased fourfold and twofold, respectively, whereas glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione increased threefold. Malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were twofold higher in colorectal tumors than in normal mucosa. Seven of 10 DNA tumor samples (70%) showing higher values of 8-OHdG also had genetic alterations at different chromosomal loci. In these samples, the p53 gene was deleted or mutated in 71.4% of cases. We concluded that the observed changes in the oxidative metabolism of the tumor cells and the consecutive increase in DNA damage may potentiate the genomic instability of different chromosomal regions, leading to further cell malignancy and tumor expansion.

[Retroperitoneal fibrosis due to ergotamine. Apropos a case]. / Fibrosis retroperitoneal por ergotamina. A propósito de un caso.

OBJECTIVES: This paper reviews retroperitoneal fibrosis secondary to ergotamine and evaluated the current tools in its diagnosis. METHODS/RESULTS: A well documented case of a young patient with retroperitoneal fibrosis resulting from chronic use of ergotic agents is presented. The fibrous plaque remitted after withdrawal of the causal agent. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of contrast-enhanced CT in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal fibrosis is widely accepted. The usefulness of this technique in determining the extent of the lesion and for subsequent follow up is underscored.