As ischemic stroke is associated with an excessive release of glutamate into the neuronal extracellular space, a decrease in blood glutamate levels could provide a mechanism to remove it from the brain tissue, by increasing the brain-blood gradient. In this regard, the ability of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) to metabolize glutamate in blood could represent a potential neuroprotective tool for ischemic stroke. This study aimed to determine the neuroprotective effects of GOT in an animal model of cerebral ischemia by means of a middle cerebral arterial occlusion (MCAO) following the Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) group guidelines. In this animal model, oxaloacetate-mediated GOT activation inhibited the increase of blood and cerebral glutamate after MCAO. This effect is reflected in a reduction of infarct size, smaller edema volume, and lower sensorimotor deficits with respect to controls. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed that the increase of glutamate levels in the brain parenchyma after MCAO is inhibited after oxaloacetate-mediated GOT activation. These findings show the capacity of the GOT to remove glutamate from the brain by means of blood glutamate degradation, and suggest the applicability of this enzyme as an efficient and novel neuroprotective tool against ischemic stroke.

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100 protein are implicated in several brain injuries, including stroke. Our objective was to analyze the temporal profile and the clinical significance of NSE and S-100 in acute ischemic (IS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We studied 224 patients with IS and 44 patients with ICH. Computerized tomography (CT) scans were performed to assess infarct volume. Stroke severity was evaluated using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and functional outcome at 3 months with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Serum NSE and S100 protein were measured using an electrochemiluminescence-immunoassay. Peak values were found at 72 h for NSE and at 24 h for S100 in IS. For ICH, peak values were found at 24 h for both NSE and S100. At these time intervals S100 and NSE correlated with the NIHSS score and were independently associated with poor outcome. High serum NSE and S100 are associated with poor outcome in IS, and high serum NSE is associated with poor outcome in ICH. These findings suggest the potential utility of NSE and S100 as prognostic markers for acute stroke.

The objective of this study was to investigate the usability of the augmented reality (AR) in higher education in the area of health sciences to describe what type of interventions have been developed, their impact on various psychopedagogical aspects of the students as well as the main advantages, disadvantages and challenges in incorporating AR in the teaching-learning process. A systematic review was carried out in the CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science databases and the Google Scholar search engine. The search was limited to original research articles written in English, Spanish or Portuguese since 2014. The quality of the selected articles (n = 19) was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The applications and electronic devices used and the measurement instruments used were described. The use of AR made it easier for students to acquire skills, especially in courses with a high component of three-dimensional visualization, and positively influenced various aspects of the learning process such as motivation, satisfaction or autonomous learning. As an educational technological tool applied to higher education in health sciences, AR improves the teaching-learning process by influencing it in a multidimensional way.

To identify proteins differentially expressed between the tear film of keratoconus (KC) patients and control subjects using two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry-based techniques. Twenty two patients (44 eyes) diagnosed with bilateral KC and 22 control subjects (44 eyes) were studied in a prospective case-control study. Keratoconus screening programs and Orbscan II topographies were performed on all participants. Tear samples were collected by the Schirmer I method using filter paper. Proteins were extracted from the Schirmer strips and separated by 2-DE. Comparison of protein patterns was performed using PDQuest Software and protein differences were identified by mass spectrometry. Finally, results were validated by western-blot. Four spots were identified to be differentially expressed between KC patients and control subjects. Three of them were more expressed in healthy subjects and they were identified as zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG), lactoferrin, and IGKC (immunoglobulin kappa chain). The other spot was more expressed in KC patients and it was identified as ZAG. Differences in ZAG seem controversial in two different spots because different posttranslational modifications, however, analysis of both spots revealed that globally, ZAG is overexpressed in healthy subjects. Founded differences in ZAG, lactoferrin, and IGKC expression were subsequently validated by western blot. IGKC protein, ZAG, and lactoferrin are under-expressed in the tears of patients diagnosed with bilateral KC compared with healthy subjects. These differences could contribute to the knowledge of the pathophysiology of this disease.