Caracterización de enfermedad trofoblástica gestacional en el Hospital de Talca, 2013-2022 / Characterization of gestational trophoblastic disease at Hospital de Talca, 2013-2022

Introducción: La enfermedad trofoblástica gestacional (ETG) corresponde al espectro de lesiones proliferativas del tejido trofoblástico placentario. Presenta una incidencia mundial variable; en Chile no existen estudios nacionales, por lo que las cifras se deben extrapolar de estudios extranjeros. Objetivo: Caracterizar clínica y epidemiológicamente a las pacientes diagnosticadas con embarazo molar en el periodo 2013-2022 en el Hospital Regional de Talca (HRT). Método: Estudio observacional transversal, se consideró el recuento total de pacientes de la base de datos del Servicio de Onco-Ginecología (n = 100) y la cantidad de embarazos ocurridos entre 2013-2022 en el HRT. Resultados: La edad promedio de presentación fue de 32 años, obteniéndose una incidencia de ETG de 2,1 casos por cada 1.000 embarazos. El 54% de los casos corresponde a mola parcial. Los principales síntomas fueron metrorragia (67%) y dolor abdominal (40%). El principal tratamiento efectuado fue aspiración uterina (92%). En el 48% de los casos se sospechó la ETG con la clínica previo al diagnóstico por biopsia y solo en un 13% únicamente con estudio ecográfico. Conclusiones: Es necesario realizar más investigaciones nacionales que permitan recopilar información actualizada sobre ETG, sobre todo por la variabilidad clínica de la enfermedad, que hace difícil su sospecha diagnóstica.

Introduction: Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTO) corresponds to the spectrum of proliferative lesions of placental trophoblastic tissue. It has a variable global incidence; in Chile there are no national studies so it must be extrapolated from foreign studies. Objective: To clinically and epidemiologically characterize patients diagnosed with molar pregnancy in the period 2013-2022, at the Talca Regional Hospital (HRT). Method: Cross-sectional observational study, the total count of patients from the Onco-Gynecology Service database (n = 100) and the number of pregnancies that occurred between 2013-2022 in the HRT were considered. Results: The average age of presentation was 32 years, obtaining an incidence of GTO of 2.1 cases per 1000 pregnancies; 54% of cases correspond to partial mole. The main symptoms were metrorrhagia (67%) and abdominal pain (40%). The main treatment performed was uterine aspiration (92%). In 48% of the cases, GTO was suspected with clinical symptoms prior to diagnosis by biopsy, and only 13% with an ultrasound study alone. Conclusions: It is necessary to carry out more national research to collect updated information on GTO, especially due to the clinical variability of the disease that makes its diagnostic suspicion difficult.

Evaluating the effect of unidirectional loading on the piezoresistive characteristics of carbon nanoparticles.

The piezoresistive effect of materials can be adopted for a plethora of sensing applications, including force sensors, structural health monitoring, motion detection in fabrics and wearable, etc. Although metals are the most widely adopted material for sensors due to their reliability and affordability, they are significantly affected by temperature. This work examines the piezoresistive performance of carbon nanoparticle (CNP) bulk powders and discusses their potential applications based on strain-induced changes in their resistance and displacement. The experimental results are correlated with the characteristics of the nanoparticles, namely, dimensionality and structure. This report comprehensively characterizes the piezoresistive behavior of carbon black (CB), onion-like carbon (OLC), carbon nanohorns (CNH), carbon nanotubes (CNT), dispersed carbon nanotubes (CNT-D), graphite flakes (GF), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). The characterization includes assessment of the ohmic range, load-dependent electrical resistance and displacement tracking, a modified gauge factor for bulk powders, and morphological evaluation of the CNP. Two-dimensional nanostructures exhibit promising results for low loads due to their constant compression-to-displacement relationship. Additionally, GF could also be used for high load applications. OLC's compression-to-displacement relationship fluctuates, however, for high load it tends to stabilize. CNH could be applicable for both low and high loading conditions since its compression-to-displacement relationship fluctuates in the mid-load range. CB and CNT show the most promising results, as demonstrated by their linear load-resistance curves (logarithmic scale) and constant compression-to-displacement relationship. The dispersion process for CNT is unnecessary, as smaller agglomerates cause fluctuations in their compression-to-displacement relationship with negligible influence on its electrical performance.

[Evaluation of bone health in transgender people. Position of the Argentine Osteoporosis Society]. / Valoración de la densidad mineral ósea en personas transgénero. Posicionamiento de la Sociedad Argentina de Osteoporosis.

The Argentine Osteoporosis Society convened renowned specialists in the care of transgender people to prepare the first local position on the evaluation of bone health in this population. Law 26.743 on "Gender Identity" recognize all identities and guarantees free care throughout the health system. The impact of different gender affirmation treatments on bone mass has been topic of international debate. To date the evidence remains limited and different societies have issued suggestions and recommendations. For this reason, we believe it is relevant to mention our experience, capturing through this document a series of suggestions to be used in medical care.

La Sociedad Argentina de Osteoporosis convocó a especialistas reconocidos en la atención de personas transgénero para la elaboración del primer posicionamiento local sobre la evaluación de la salud ósea en esta población. La ley 26.743 de "Identidad de género" reconoce todas las identidades y garantiza su atención de manera gratuita en el sistema de salud. El impacto de los diferentes tratamientos de afirmación de género sobre la masa ósea ha sido tópico de debate internacional. Hasta la fecha la evidencia sigue siendo limitada y diferentes sociedades han emitido sugerencias y recomendaciones. Por tal motivo, creemos relevante mencionar nuestra experiencia plasmando mediante este documento una serie de sugerencias para ser utilizadas en la atención médica.

Mebendazolium mesylate anhydride salt: rational design based on supramolecular assembly, synthesis, and solid-state characterization.

The design mebendazole (MBZ) multicomponent systems is important to obtain new materials that incorporate the API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) with better thermal stability, avoiding the interconversion of desmotropes. Interestingly, the presence of water molecules in the mebendazolium mesylate monohydrate prevents the formation of the R22(8) supramolecular synthon, found in all mebendazolium salts with polyatomic counterions. Here, we designed a new mebendazolium mesylate anhydrous salt based on statistical scrutiny of all mebendazole crystal structures identified in the literature and an exhaustive analysis of the conformational and geometrical requirements for the supramolecular assembly. The synthesis of this new salt and its solid-state characterization through single-crystal X-ray diffraction and complementary techniques are presented. As expected, mebendazole recrystallization in methanol with methanesulfonic acid - a Food and Drug Administration accepted coformer - in the absence of water yields a mesylate anhydrous salt with 1 : 1 stoichiometry. This new salt crystallizes in the P212121 (19) space group. The main intermolecular interactions found in the crystal structure are the hydrogen bonds that form a R22(8) supramolecular motif that assembles the ionic pairs. Additional non-classical H-bond, as well as π⋯π and carbonyl⋯cation interactions, contribute to the final stabilization of the crystal packing. This new salt is stable up to 205 °C when it undergoes the endothermic loss of the ester moiety to yield 2-amino-5-benzoylbenzimidazole. Moreover, preliminary dissolution experiments in aqueous 0.1 mol L-1 HCl suggest an apparent solubility of mebendazolium mesylate anhydride 2.67 times higher than that of the preferred for pharmaceutical formulations MBZ form C.

Valoración de la densidad mineral ósea en personas transgénero posicionamiento de la Sociedad Argentina de Osteoporosis / Evaluation of bone health in transgender people. Position of the Argentine Osteoporosis Society

Resumen La Sociedad Argentina de Osteoporosis convocó a especialistas reconocidos en la atención de personas transgénero para la elaboración del primer posiciona miento local sobre la evaluación de la salud ósea en esta población. La ley 26.743 de "Identidad de género" reco noce todas las identidades y garantiza su atención de manera gratuita en el sistema de salud. El impacto de los diferentes tratamientos de afirmación de género sobre la masa ósea ha sido tópico de debate internacional. Hasta la fecha la evidencia sigue siendo limitada y diferentes sociedades han emitido sugerencias y recomendaciones. Por tal motivo, creemos relevante mencionar nuestra experiencia plasmando mediante este documento una serie de sugerencias para ser utilizadas en la atención médica.

Abstract The Argentine Osteoporosis Society convened renowned specialists in the care of transgender people to prepare the first local position on the evaluation of bone health in this population. Law 26.743 on "Gender Identity" recognize all identities and guarantees free care throughout the health system. The impact of different gender affirmation treatments on bone mass has been topic of international debate. To date the evidence remains limited and different societies have issued suggestions and recommendations. For this reason, we believe it is relevant to mention our experience, capturing through this document a series of suggestions to be used in medical care.

Synthesis, structure, and characterisation of a ferromagnetically coupled dinuclear complex containing Co(II) ions in a high spin configuration and thiodiacetate and phenanthroline as ligands and of a series of isomorphous heterodinuclear complexes containing different Co : Zn ratios.

We report the synthesis, crystal structure, and characterisation of a dinuclear Co(II) compound with thiodiacetate (tda) and phenanthroline (phen) as ligands (1), and of a series of metal complexes isomorphous to 1 with different Co : Zn ratios (2, 4 : 1; 3, 1 : 1; 4, 1 : 4; 5, 1 : 10). General characterisation methodologies and X-ray data showed that all the synthesised complexes are isomorphous to Zn(II) and Cu(II) analogues (CSD codes: DUHXEL and BEBQII). 1 consists of centrosymmetric Co(II) ion dimers in which the ions are 3.214 Å apart, linked by two µ-O bridges. Each cobalt atom is in a distorted octahedral environment of the N2O3S type. UV-vis spectra of 1 and 5 are in line with high spin (S = 3/2) Co(II) ions in octahedral coordination and indicate that the electronic structure of both Co(II) ions in the dinuclear unit does not significantly change relative to that of the magnetically isolated Co(II) ion. EPR spectra of powder samples of 5 (Co : Zn ratio of 1 : 10) together with spectral simulation indicated high spin Co(II) ions with high rhombic distortion of the zfs [E/D = 0.31(1), D > 0]. DC magnetic susceptibility experiments on 1 and analysis of the data constraining the E/D value obtained by EPR yielded g = 2.595(7), |D| = 61(1) cm-1, and an intradimer ferromagnetic exchange coupling of J = 1.39(4) cm-1. EPR spectra as a function of Co : Zn ratio for both powder and single crystal samples confirmed that they result from two effective S' = 1/2 spins that interact through dipolar and isotropic exchange interactions to yield magnetically isolated S' = 1 centres and that interdimeric exchange interactions, putatively mediated by hydrophobic interactions between phen moieties, are negligible. The latter observation contrasts with that observed in the Cu(II) analogue, where a transition from S = 1 to S' = 1/2 was observed. Computational calculations indicated that the absence of the interdimeric exchange interaction in 1 is due to a lower Co(II) ion spin density delocalisation towards the metal ligands.

Perceptions of and Experiences With Cigarette and E-Cigarette Use Among a Diverse Population of US Latino Adolescents and Young Adults.

PURPOSE: To determine potential unique factors influencing cigarette and e-cigarette use in US Latino youth. APPROACH: We conducted a qualitative study assessing cigarette and e-cigarette perceptions and experiences, including experiences with/perceptions of the products, cultural influences and influences of friends and family. SETTING: Four online discussion boards, conducted in October 2020. PARTICIPANTS: 92 Latino youth aged 15-21 years living in the US. METHOD: Data from the discussion groups were coded and analyzed by three trained coders using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Stress relief emerged as the dominant theme connected with both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Apart from stress, perceptions of and experiences with the products differed. E-cigarettes were commonly viewed as trendy and cool and participants often reported using them due to curiosity and popularity. Participants commonly compared e-cigarettes to cigarettes, noting benefits of e-cigarettes. Participants also noted more negative short and long-term health effects of cigarette use, and discussed generational differences between the two products. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study help address a dearth of research examining tobacco use among diverse groups of Latino youth. Findings indicate that despite differences in country of heritage, Latino youth are united by similar opinions about cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Additionally, they share cultural values and experiences which could be leveraged for tobacco control communications that cut across populations of Latino youth.

[Evaluation of sexual issues by professionals who assist type 2 diabetic men]. / Evaluación de temas sexuales por profesionales que asisten a hombres con diabetes tipo 2.

INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to assess whether physicians who care for people with type 2 diabetes address andrological symptoms such as erectile sexual dysfunction, decreased libido, and symptoms and/or signs of hypogonadism. METHODS: An anonymous survey was carried out with 171 doctors, 113 were females (66.1%), the mean age was 46 ± 10 years (females: 45 ± 10 and males: 49 ± 10, p = 0.006). RESULTS: There were no differences in responses according to gender. Regarding the presence of erectile sexual dysfunction and/or decreased libido, 44.4% (n = 76) and 55.6% (n = 95) did not ask about them, respectively. In patients with symptoms of hypogonadism, 50.9% (n = 87) did not request a testosterone measurement. Regarding the improvement of the metabolic profile of type 2 diabetes mellitus and sexual symptoms after replacement with testosterone, 65.8% of the respondents answered that both conditions could improve after treatment. In the presence of symptoms compatible with hypogonadism, 74.7% of those surveyed stated that the measurement of testosterone should be performed. A total of 108 (63.2%) showed interest in being trained on topics related to type 2 diabetes and disorders of the sexual sphere. CONCLUSION: A large percentage of physicians who take care of men with type 2 diabetes do not inquire about andrological disorders. It is necessary to raise awareness and train doctors to detect, treat and/or refer these frequent health problems, not only to improve the quality of life of patients but also to effectively respond and prevent a major health problem.

Introducción: Los trastornos andrológicos son frecuentes en varones con diabetes tipo 2. El objetivo fue evaluar si los médicos que atienden a personas con diabetes tipo 2 abordan problemas andrológicos como disfunción sexual eréctil, disminución de libido y síntomas de hipogonadismo. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo una encuesta anónima a 171 médicos, de ellos 113 fueron mujeres (66.1%) con una edad media de 46 ± 10 años (mujeres: 45 ± 10 y varones: 49 ± 10, p = 0.006). Resultados: No hubo diferencias en las respuestas según el género. El 44.4% (n = 76) y el 55.6% (n = 95) no preguntan sobre la presencia de disfunción sexual eréctil y/o disminución de libido, respectivamente. El 50.9% (n = 87) no solicitó medición de testosterona en pacientes con síntomas de hipogonadismo. El 65.8% de los participantes respondió que el reemplazo con testosterona puede mejorar el perfil metabólico de la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 y los síntomas sexuales. El 74.7% de los encuestados afirmó que la medición de testosterona debería realizarse ante la presencia de síntomas compatibles con hipogonadismo. El 63.2% (n = 108) mostró interés en formación sobre temas relacionados a diabetes tipo 2 y trastornos de la esfera sexual. Conclusión: Un gran porcentaje de médicos que asisten a varones con diabetes tipo 2 no indaga sobre trastornos andrológicos. Es necesario concientizar y entrenar a los médicos, para detectar, tratar y/o derivar estos problemas de salud tan frecuentes, no solo para mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes sino para responder y prevenir efectivamente a un problema mayor de salud.

Evaluación de temas sexuales por profesionales que asisten a hombres con diabetes tipo 2 / Evaluation of sexual issues by professionals who assist type 2 diabetic men

Resumen Introducción: Los trastornos andrológicos son frecuentes en varones con diabetes tipo 2. El objetivo fue evaluar si los médicos que atienden a personas con diabetes tipo 2 abordan problemas andro lógicos como disfunción sexual eréctil, disminución de libido y síntomas de hipogonadismo. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo una encuesta anónima a 171 médicos, de ellos 113 fueron mujeres (66.1%) con una edad media de 46 ± 10 años (mujeres: 45 ± 10 y varones: 49 ± 10, p = 0.006). Resultados: No hubo diferencias en las res puestas según el género. El 44.4% (n = 76) y el 55.6% (n = 95) no preguntan sobre la presencia de disfunción sexual eréctil y/o disminución de libido, respectivamente. El 50.9% (n = 87) no solicitó medición de testosterona en pacientes con síntomas de hipogonadismo. El 65.8% de los participantes respondió que el reemplazo con testosterona puede mejorar el perfil metabólico de la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 y los síntomas sexuales. El 74.7% de los encuestados afirmó que la medición de testosterona debería realizarse ante la presencia de síntomas compatibles con hipogonadismo. El 63.2% (n = 108) mostró interés en formación sobre temas relacionados a diabetes tipo 2 y trastornos de la esfera sexual. Conclusión: Un gran porcentaje de médicos que asisten a varones con diabetes tipo 2 no indaga sobre trastornos andrológicos. Es necesario concientizar y entrenar a los médicos, para detectar, tratar y/o derivar estos problemas de salud tan frecuentes, no solo para mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes sino para responder y prevenir efectivamente a un problema mayor de salud.

Abstract Introduction: Our objective was to assess whether physicians who care for people with type 2 dia betes address andrological symptoms such as erectile sexual dysfunction, decreased libido, and symptoms and/ or signs of hypogonadism. Methods: An anonymous survey was carried out with 171 doctors, 113 were females (66.1%), the mean age was 46 ± 10 years (females: 45 ± 10 and males: 49 ± 10, p = 0.006). Results: There were no differences in responses according to gender. Regarding the presence of erectile sexual dysfunction and/or decreased libido, 44.4% (n = 76) and 55.6% (n = 95) did not ask about them, respectively. In patients with symptoms of hypogonadism, 50.9% (n = 87) did not request a testosterone measurement. Regarding the improvement of the metabolic profile of type 2 diabetes mellitus and sexual symptoms after replacement with testosterone, 65.8% of the respondents answered that both conditions could improve after treatment. In the presence of symptoms compatible with hypogonadism, 74.7% of those surveyed stated that the measurement of testosterone should be performed. A total of 108 (63.2%) showed interest in being trained on topics related to type 2 diabetes and disorders of the sexual sphere. Conclusion: A large percentage of physicians who take care of men with type 2 diabetes do not inquire about andrological disorders. It is necessary to raise awareness and train doctors to detect, treat and/or refer these frequent health problems, not only to improve the quality of life of patients but also to effectively respond and prevent a major health problem.

Feasibility of Carbon Nanoparticle Coatings as Protective Barriers for Copper─Wetting Assessment.

Copper is extensively used in a wide range of industrial and daily-life applications, varying from heat exchangers to electrical wiring. Although it is protected from oxidation by its native oxide layer, when subjected to harsh environmental conditions─such as in coastal regions─this metal can rapidly degrade. Therefore, in this study, we analyze the potential use of carbon nanoparticle coatings as protective barriers due to their intrinsic hydrophobic wetting behavior. The nanocarbon coatings were produced via electrophoretic deposition on Cu platelets and characterized via scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and sessile drop test; the latter being the primary focus since it provides insights into the wetting behavior of the produced coatings. Among the measured coatings, graphite flakes, graphene oxide, and carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings showed superhydrophobic behavior. Based on their wetting behavior, and specifically for electrical applications, CNT coatings showed the most promising results since these coatings do not significantly impact the substrate's electrical conductivity. Although CNT agglomerates do not affect the wetting behavior of the attained coatings, the coating's thickness plays an important role. Therefore, to completely coat the substrate, the CNT coating should be sufficiently thick─above approximately 1 µm.