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Adenocarcinoma is preceded by chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) is a peptide secreted by goblet cells, which is abundantly present in intestinal metaplasia.To evaluate the utility of serum TFF3 as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer.Single-center, cross-sectional study of 274 patients who consecutively underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with gastric biopsies (updated Sydney system). TFF3 levels were measured in serum by a commercial ELISA kit. Patients with normal histology or chronic atrophic gastritis without intestinal metaplasia comprised the control group. In addition, 14 patients with invasive gastric cancer were included as a reference group. The association between TFF3 levels and intestinal metaplasia was assessed by logistic regression.Patients with intestinal metaplasia (n=110) had a higher median TFF3 level as compared to controls (n=164), 13.1 vs. 11.9ng/mL, respectively (p=0.024). Multivariable logistic regression showed a no significant association between TFF3 levels and intestinal metaplasia (OR=1.20; 95%CI: 0.87-1.65; p-trend=0.273). The gastric cancer group had a median TFF3 level of 20.5ng/mL, and a significant association was found (OR=3.26; 95%CI: 1.29-8.27; p-trend=0.013).Serum levels of TFF3 do not discriminate intestinal metaplasia in this high-risk Latin American population. Nevertheless, we confirmed an association between TFF3 levels and invasive gastric cancer.

According to Chilean design practice, walls usually have complex geometries and discontinuities in height, mainly in the first story. However, the Chilean design code, similar to many design codes, does not provide special provisions for discontinuities. This paper shows the results of an experimental and numerical study of walls with a central opening at the base. Four slender walls are constructed with the same general dimensions, but with different shapes of the opening (15% and 30% of the length, and 11% and 22% of the wall height). The specimens were tested under constant axial load, while cyclic lateral loading is applied at the top. One of the specimens presents slab elements at the base. Results indicate that lateral strength is similar in all cases; however, displacement capacity varies with opening size. All specimens with openings have less ductility, where the specimen with wider and taller opening had a reduced displacement capacity (∼30% reduction). The width of the opening was more influential than the height in the displacement capacity. Numerical analysis was done through a finite element modeling, where one of the models considered all features of the formulation and a second model considered rigid beams placed in all levels forcing the Bernoulli hypothesis (flexural model). Both models can capture strength, stiffness and displacement capacity, and therefore a flexural model can be used for boundary detailing.

We have carried an exploratory study by blood transcriptome to find RNA expression signatures in familial ADHD. Samples were collected from three cases with familial ADHD and their paired controls and evaluated by RNA-Seq. Transcriptome profiling identified 7 differentially expressed transcripts with a FDR0.05 that were involved in pathways in Huntington's disease or axonal guidance signaling previously implicated in ADHD, and enriched for signal peptide, growth factor binding, and notably the lipid metabolism pathways. These findings show that blood transcriptome can have an associated signature and highlight a potential to use blood transcriptome to identify patterns of ADHD.

A study on the effect of using a nanostructured substrate in the growth of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been carried out. It was found that the deposition on a nanoporous substrate gives origin to a film with a lower ratio of the sp3 to sp2 hybridizations of carbon atoms bondings as compared to a film deposited on a flat substrate under the same conditions, namely flat Silicon (Si) or Aluminum (Al) foil. This could be a consequence of a local stress relaxation during the growing process induced by the nanoporous structure of the substrate, suggesting that it might not be possible to obtain a high content of tetrahedral amorphous carbon when that kind of substrates is used. Motivated by previous investigations of nanodots growth using a nanoporous alumina substrate, a low pressure Argon background was used during the deposition process, in order to achieve different values of the sp3 content.

A novel application for conical wire array Z-pinches to surface science is presented. The axial outflows emitted by a tungsten conical wire array in the form of both a dense plasma jet and energetic ions are used to produce morphological modification of substrate surfaces without using any kind of chemical treatment. In particular, surface modifications of (1 0 0) oriented Si substrates in the form of micropores and stripes-like formations after a single interaction of the Si to the axial outflows are obtained. It is found that the prevalence of each kind of formation, either micropores or stripes, on the treated substrate depends on the relative position of the target with respect to the wire array. The results indicate that at distances of 11 cm over the array there is still effect of the dense plasma jet outflow since both micropores and stripes are found. On the contrary, solely stripe-like patterns are found at greater distances where the effect of the dense plasma outflow is minimal or null, and only the ion outflow irradiates the surface. The description of the method and future perspectives of this novel application of surface treatment are shown and discussed.

RESUMENA pesar de conocerse la relación entre diabetes mellitus y deterioro cognitivo, aún el cerebro no es considerado un órgano blanco de la enfermedad. En el siguiente artículo se realiza una revisión no sistemática y actualizada de la literatura, focalizándose en los estudios que vinculan diabetes con deterioro cognitivo, sus posibles mecanismos fisiopatológicos y los dominios neuropsicológicos involucrados.Se han descrito alteraciones en todos los dominios cognitivos, sin embargo velocidad psicomotora y atención son los más comúnmente vinculados a la diabetes. Concluimos que la diabetes tiene como órgano blanco el cerebro y enfatizamos la importancia del estudio neuropsicológico en pacientes con larga historia de la enfermedad y en aquellos donde pudiera existir un trastorno cognitivo que puede condicionar la adherencia al tratamiento.SUMMARYDespite the broad knowledge about cognitive disorders linked to Diabetes Mellitus, the brain is still not considered as a target of the disease. In the present study a non systematic review of the literature in the topic of Diabetes Mellitus and cognitive disorders is presented, focusing in proposed pathophysiological mechanisms and neuropsychological profile.Dysfunctions in all cognitive domains have been linked to Diabetes Mellitus, but psychomotor slowing and impaired attention are more commonly described. We conclude that the brain is a target organ of Diabetes Mellitus and emphasize the importance of a Neuropsychological assessment in patients with long time diabetes history and where a cognitive disorder is suspected, i.e. patients with poor adherence to treatment.

Epidemiological studies have reported a reduction in the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in individuals that ingest low amounts of alcohol. Also, it has been found that moderate consumption of ethanol might protect against β-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity. However, the mechanism underlying its potential neuroprotection is largely unknown. In the present study, we found that ethanol improved the cognitive processes of learning and memory in 3xTgAD mice. In addition, we found that a low concentration of ethanol (equivalent to moderate ethanol consumption) decreased the binding of Aβ (1 and 5 μM) to neuronal membranes and, consequently, its synaptotoxic effect in rat hippocampal and cortical neurons under acute (30 minutes) and chronic (24 hours) incubation conditions. This effect appears to be exerted by a direct action of ethanol on Aβ because electron microscopy studies showed that ethanol altered the degree of Aβ aggregation. The action of ethanol on Aβ also prevented the peptide from perforating the neuronal membrane, as assayed with patch clamp experiments. Taken together, these results contribute to elucidating the mechanism by which low concentrations of ethanol protect against toxicity induced by Aβ oligomers in primary neuronal cultures. These results may also provide an explanation for the decrease in the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people who consume moderate doses of alcohol.

Purpose To investigate the safety of LASIK in patients with a known history of controlled rheumatic diseases. Design Retrospective consecutive observational clinical study. Participants Forty-two eyes (22 patients) known to have had a history of rheumatic diseases underwent LASIK. All patients had a history of controlled rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, or Behcet's disease. Methods Assessments were made preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively and included visual acuity (VA), refraction, keratometric readings, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and corneal topography. All the patients underwent LASIK. Postoperative treatment included a topical steroid–antibiotic combination. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity, refraction, keratometric readings, and slit-lamp biomicroscopy findings at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Results LASIK was performed uneventfully on all patients. The mean pre-LASIK spherical equivalent (SE) was −5.39±2.25, and the sixth month postoperative SE was −0.15±0.38 diopters (D) ( P Conclusions In this small series, we found good outcomes when correcting refractive errors using LASIK in selected patients with controlled rheumatic diseases. In this series, a favorable postoperative visual outcome was obtained with no operative or postoperative vision-threatening complications.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine objectively the changes in optical aberrations induced by the progressive tear film irregularity after a blink and their effects on retinal image quality. Design Prospective, consecutive, nonrandomized comparative trial (self-controlled). Participants Twenty healthy subjects. Main outcome measures Corneal and total ocular aberrations were determined in 20 subjects at various time intervals (approximately 0, 10, and 20 seconds) after a blink. Corneal and total aberrations were measured with an Orbscan II topographer (Orbtek Inc, Salt Lake City, UT) and a Zywave aberrometer (Bausch & Lomb, Irvine, CA), respectively. All data were decomposed using Zernike polynomials to yield the root mean square wavefront deviations, in micrometers (μm), for different pupil diameters (3.5, 4.5, 5.5, and 6.5 mm). A merit function (Mf), defined as the volume under the 2-dimensional modulation transfer function as computed from the total wavefront error, was taken as the image quality metric. Results Both corneal and total aberrations (third order and higher) showed a statistically significant increase with time after the blink for all pupil diameters except 3.5 mm. The magnitude of the increase was greater at larger pupil diameters. For a 6.5-mm pupil, the aberrations increased on average by a factor of 2.5 (total) and 2.5 (corneal). Increases in total aberration were related closely to increases in corneal aberration ( P Conclusions After a blink, the gradual increase in optical aberration associated with the increasingly irregular tear film may cause a progressive reduction in the optical quality of the eye. These changes in aberration with time may partly limit the improvements in visual performance that are achievable by customized corneal ablation.

Purpose To report a case of traumatic cataract in a young patient with an iris-fixated phakic intraocular lens (PIOL). Design Interventional case report. Methods A 32-year-old woman with bilateral iris-fixated PIOLs for high myopia presented with a cortical cataract 2 weeks after minor ocular trauma. Ultrasound biomicroscopy and endothelial cell count were performed before and after cataract surgery. Results The distance between the PIOL and the crystalline lens was 0.82 mm; the distance between the PIOL and the corneal endothelium was 2.30 mm. Endothelial cell count was 2,500 cells/mm2 before surgery and 2,476 cells/mm2 at 1 year follow-up. Conclusions Patients with iris-fixated PIOLs are at risk of rapid cataract progression after minor ocular traumatism.

PURPOSE: To contribute toward assessing the effectiveness of polymerase chain reaction as a rapid method in diagnosis of torpid keratitis caused by opportunistic fungi. METHODS: Interventional case report. A 50-year-old man with a corneal abscess in the right eye treated for a period of 6 months with different combinations of broad-spectrum antibiotics and steroids was referred to our center. Corneal scraping was taken for microbiological study, including classic cultures and polymerase chain reaction. Amplified DNA was sequenced to identify the pathogen. RESULTS: Polymerase chain reaction amplification was negative for Acanthamoeba species and positive for fungi. The sequence analysis showed Alternaria alternata as the causal agent in 24 hours. Cultures confirmed the identification in 10 days. CONCLUSION: Polymerase chain reaction amplification with subsequent DNA-typing was revealed to be a useful method for detection of ocular pathogens such as A. alternata involved in cases of torpid keratitis, even in the presence of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy.