Was Bretton Woods Working for the Common Good? Mexico's Advocacy to Consider the Human Implications of the International Monetary and Financial Systems at the Bretton Woods Conference

This research develops a critical reframing that locates Mexico’s articulation for a fairer, more inclusive, and more sustainable approach to the international economic system at the Bretton Woods Conference. This summit is important because it was the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference (July of 1944) that established the bases for the international postwar economic system. This dissertation analyzes Mexico’s participation by drawing on the archival evidence issued by the US government in 1948 and the Mexican officials involved at the time. In addition, a study of Mexican history is presented to provide greater context to the current state of the literature, and specifically an intervention to the literature in North America that considers Mexico’s position at the Bretton Woods Conference. That literature has been based uniquely on Mexico’s foreign relations during a few decades of the 20th century, ignoring the principles that guided Mexican foreign policy since the early 19th century. In this way, this research stresses the broader significance of the Mexican delegation’s claims for Bretton Woods as well as for the fairness and inclusiveness of the multilateral world order itself. Unfortunately, the current state of the literature focuses mainly on Latin America’s contributions from the perspective of what the United States instrumentalized or used to develop the multilateral postwar order. Therefore, this dissertation conscientiously details the ways in which the Mexican delegation advocated for building a more flexible and inclusive international monetary system of the postwar world. This advocacy can be seen in Mexico’s proposals on the quotas for voting the currency exchanges and the inclusion of silver to be considered as collateral for loans. Additionally, Mexico advocated for economic development through its proposals for the IBRD, both for including the goal of development alongside that of reconstruction in the purpose of the bank, as well as questioning the veto power of lending countries. All these proposals lead to reflections that ask Was Bretton Woods Working for the Common Good? Mexico’s Advocacy to Consider the Human Implications of the International Monetary and Financial Systems at the Bretton Woods Conference

Lactoferrin in the Battle against Intestinal Parasites: A Review

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein of the innate immune system, which is present in some mammalian fluids and secreted into the mucosae; it is also produced by the secondary granules of the polymorphonuclear neutrophils and secreted at infection sites. Lactoferricins (Lfcins) are peptides derived from the N-terminus of Lf. Lf avoids the iron availability to parasites in the body fluids due to its high avidity for iron, maintaining together with transferrin the free-iron concentration in about 10−18 M, which is too low to support the pathogenic invader survival. Intestinal parasitic diseases affect people worldwide, mainly in developing countries with poor hygienic conditions; for example, parasites such as Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, and Cryptosporidium parvum infect the human intestine when are orally ingested as cysts. Human and bovine Lf have been found parasiticidal in experiments in vitro and in animal models. Interestingly, Lf synergizes with metronidazole, the main drug used against E. histolytica and G. intestinalis. The aim of this chapter is to show the benefits of using Lf and Lfcins against intestinal parasitic diseases

Importancia del gradiente de presión venosa hepática en pacientes con cirrosis hepática.

La cirrosis hepática y la hipertensión portal son causas importantes de morbilidad y mortalidad en nuestro país. Debido a esto, cada vez son mayores nuestros esfuerzos para incrementar las herramientas diagnósticas y terapéuticas para beneficio de nuestros pacientes. El gradiente de presión venoso hepático (GPVH) es, en la actualidad, una medición de la presión que existe, de manera indirecta, en la vena porta que se utiliza para establecer medidas terapéuticas adecuadas, así como evaluar la respuesta a las mismas con el fin de mejorar el pronóstico y la sobrevida de nuestros pacientes. El GPVH fue utilizado en un inicio para pacientes con hemorragia aguda varicela, así como en profilaxis primaria y secundaria. Algunos otros casos clínicos donde puede ser de utilidad son: carcinoma hepatocelular, sobrevida, eventos de descompensación, hepatitis alcohólica, hepatitis C, entre otros

An innovative model using Promotores or Community Health Workers for home based dementia care

Background: Health disparities and issues with trust building and relationship building are prominent in Hispanic and underserved populations in south Texas. Community health workers can play a bridging role with underserved communities and may be essential in improving the quality and value of health care. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission certifies the training Community Health Workers under the label of “promotores”. Method: Community health workers were integrated into the primary health care team to serve as a bridge between patient/caregiver dyads and the health care team. Result: Community health workers (CHWs) connected patients to social determinants of health resources such as transportation, food pantries and/or social benefits, Medicaid services, and home care provider services. Caregiver education and resources for respite care, caregiver support in person and virtually. Additionally, CHW\u27s provided education on dementia care resources, caregiver support, recruiting and engaging Hispanic underserve participants in research. Our team was able to increase home visits by 229% to homebound patients throughout several underserved zip codes in Bexar County. This is a success as our team was able to increase health care access to persons with dementia that are homebound that may have not been seen by a healthcare provider until they required emergency care. In fact, we saw roughly 11% decrease of inpatient admissions between 2021 and 2022. Conclusion: Trust and familiarity allows the promotores to easily communicate interventions with cultural sensitivity and experiential knowledge of community values, leading to foster rapport with patients and families. The rapport and trust developed with the patients also helped to engage, and recruit Hispanic and underserved participants for research in dementia

Qualitative phase of the development of a Scale of Motives for and against Breast Reconstruction (SMBR)

Objective: Although the reasons for breast reconstruction are considered in clinics and research on breast cancer, there is not any validated scale for its evaluation. The objective of the study was to create a scale to measure the reasons for and against breast reconstruction. Method: Through the technique of natural semantic networks, the items of the scale were obtained, and through an expert judgment these were modified. The technique of semantic networks was applied to 65 Mexican women with breast cancer. The group of experts was formed by 12 specialists in breast cancer. Results: The central core of the reasons in favor of breast reconstruction was composed of 16 reasons,which can be grouped into esthetic/body image, functional, emotional/psychological and relationshipwith children and the couple. The core of the motives against breast reconstruction was composedof 11 motives, which can be grouped into fears, acceptance/comfort with the present situation, costsand health. Based on these contents, 16 items were written about reasons for reconstruction and 11against reconstruction. This 27-item scale was evaluated in adequacy and comprehensibility by thegroup of 12 experts. The 27 items were conserved, but seven items were modified. Finally, two itemson the lack of information were added, which was marked in Mexican studies. Conclusions: It issuggested to study the reliability, validity and distribution of the 29 item scale

Access to care issues adversely affect breast cancer patients in Mexico: oncologists’ perspective

Background: Despite recently implemented access to care programs, Mexican breast cancer (BC) mortality rates remain substantially above those in the US. We conducted a survey among Mexican Oncologists to determine whether practice patterns may be responsible for these differences. Methods: A web-based survey was sent to 851 oncologists across Mexico using the Vanderbilt University REDCap database. Analyses of outcomes are reported using exact and binomial confidence bounds and tests. Results: 138 participants (18.6% of those surveyed) from the National capital and 26 Mexican states, responded. Respondents reported that 58% of newly diagnosed BC patients present with stage III-IV disease; 63% undergo mastectomy, 52% axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and 48% sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Chemotherapy is recommended for tumors > 1 cm (89%), positive nodes (86.5%), triple-negative (TN) (80%) and HER2 positive tumors (58%). Trastuzumab is prescribed in 54.3% and 77.5% for HER2 1 cm tumors, respectively. Tamoxifen is indicated for premenopausal hormone receptor (HR) positive tumors in 86.5% of cases and aromatase inhibitors (AI’s) for postmenopausal in 86%. 24% of physicians reported treatment limitations, due to delayed or incomplete pathology reports and delayed or limited access to medications. Conclusions: Even though access to care programs have been recently applied nationwide, women commonly present with advanced BC, leading to increased rates of mastectomy and ALND. Mexican physicians are dissatisfied with access to appropriate medical care. Our survey detects specific barriers that may impact BC outcomes in Mexico and warrant further investigation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-658) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Effect of pH and Monomer Dosing Rate in the Anionic Polymerization of Ethyl Cyanoacrylate in Semicontinuous Operation

Nanoparticles of poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) with more than 10% solids content were prepared by semicontinuous heterophase polymerization at monomer-starved conditions varying the initial pH in the interval of 1–1.75 and at two monomer dosing rates. Measurements by scanning-transmission electron microscopy allowed us to identify an inverse dependence of particle size on pH. Furthermore, all the polymerizations conducted at the slower monomer dosing rate rendered two particle populations, with the larger one formed from the aggregation of a fraction of the smaller particles. It was believed that the so slow addition of the monomer caused the formation of very small but instable particles, thereby a fraction of which aggregated to reduce the total interface particles-aqueous phase, increasing the latex stability. An increase in the monomer dosing rate led to larger and more stable particles in such way that only one population of nanoparticles with around 40 nm in average diameter was obtained

Digital strategy for the proactive management of expired products in a self-service store

Este artículo presenta una estrategia basada la implementación de una macro de Excel para el desafío crítico de la gestión de productos caducados en una tienda de autoservicio. La gestión efectiva de fechas de caducidad es fundamental para minimizar las pérdidas y mantener la calidad de los productos ofrecidos a los clientes. En este trabajo se implementó una estrategia digital que se centró en la identificación proactiva y la gestión de los productos a punto de caducar. La propuesta se basó en la recolección de datos de los productos y sus fechas de vencimiento utilizando herramientas tecnológicas internos de la tienda. Estos datos se procesaron utilizando una macro personalizada de Excel, lo que permitió a los responsables de la tienda tener una visión clara y actualizada de los productos próximos a caducar. Los resultados de la implementación de la estrategia fueron significativos. La tienda de autoservicio experimentó una reducción en la cantidad de productos caducados en su inventario en comparación con los métodos de gestión tradicionales, esto representa el 45% en términos económicos. Esta estrategia no solo contribuyó a reducir las pérdidas económicas, sino que también mejoró la satisfacción del cliente al garantizar la disponibilidad de productos frescos y seguros. Esta investigación destaca cómo la adopción de estrategias digitales, en este caso una macro de Excel personalizada, puede transformar la gestión de productos caducados en una tienda de autoservicio. La estrategia no solo redujo las pérdidas, sino que también mejoró la eficiencia operativa y la experiencia del cliente, lo que la convierte en un aporte valioso.This article presents a strategy based on the implementation of an Excel macro for the critical challenge of managing expired products in a self-service store. Effective management of expiration dates is essential to minimize losses and maintain the quality of products offered to customers. In this work, a digital strategy was implemented that focused on the proactive identification and management of products about to expire. The proposal was based on the collection of data on products and their expiration dates using internal store technological tools. This data was processed using a custom Excel macro, allowing store managers to have a clear and up-to-date view of products about to expire. The results of the implementation of the strategy were significant. The self-service store experienced a reduction in the number of expired products in its inventory compared to traditional management methods, this represents 45% in economic terms. This strategy not only helped reduce financial losses but also improved customer satisfaction by ensuring the availability of fresh and safe products. This research highlights how adopting digital strategies, in this case a custom Excel macro, can transform expired product management in a self-service store. The strategy not only reduced losses but also improved operational efficiency and customer experience, making it a valuable addition

Serum human chorionic gonadotropin is associated with angiogenesis in germ cell testicular tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Germ cell testicular tumors have survival rate that diminishes with high tumor marker levels, such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). hCG may regulate vascular neoformation through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Our purpose was to determine the relationship between hCG serum levels, angiogenesis, and VEGF expression in germ cell testicular tumors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a retrospective study of 101 patients. Serum levels of hCG, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and lactate dehydrogenase were measured prior to surgery. Vascular density (VD) and VEGF tissue expression were determined by immunohistochemistry and underwent double-blind analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Histologically, 46% were seminomas and 54%, non-seminomas. Median follow-up was 43 ± 27 months. Relapse was present in 7.5% and mortality in 11.5%. Factors associated with high VD included non-seminoma type (<it>p </it>= 0.016), AFP ≥ 14.7 ng/mL (<it>p </it>= 0.0001), and hCG ≥ 25 mIU/mL (<it>p </it>= 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, the only significant VD-associated factor was hCG level (<it>p </it>= 0.04). When hCG levels were stratified, concentrations ≥ 25 mIU/mL were related with increased neovascularization (<it>p </it>< 0.0001). VEGF expression was not associated with VD or hCG serum levels.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first study that relates increased serum hCG levels with vascularization in testicular germ cell tumors. Hence, its expression might play a role in tumor angiogenesis, independent of VEGF expression, and may explain its association with poor prognosis. hCG might represent a molecular target for therapy.</p

Histomorphometric and Immunohistochemical Study of Early Adaptative Response of the Vascular Wall in a Termino-Terminal Microsurgical Model of Femoral Vessels in Wistar Rat

SUMMARY: When a vein segment is grafted into arterial circulation, biomechanical forces stimulate modification of its structure. This morphological adaptive response is progressive during a medium or long term and occludes the vessel lumen, leading to a graft failure. The objective of this study was to characterize the early morphological response of the vascular wall in a terminal-terminal vascular vein graft model in Wistar rats. A segment of the femoral vein was placed in the femoral circulation. An end to end microsurgical graft anastomosis technique was implemented and standardized in twenty rats. The samples were processed with histological technique to analyze the overall structure with hematoxylin and eosin, the composition of the vessel wall with Masson trichrome technique, the proliferating and smooth muscle cells were detected with immunohistochemistry (anti-PCNA, anti-actin and anti CD68) and the induction of apoptosis with TUNEL technique. The times periods studied were 1, 3 and 5 days postoperative. There is progressive increase of cell proliferation and intensity of the density detected by PCNA with its peak at postoperative day 3. Apoptosis was not evident in any of the postoperative days. Smooth muscle had no significant change in any of the time periods studied. Macrophage and leukocyte migration was evident since the first postoperative day with infiltration into the media by the 5th day. This study characterizes the morphological aspects in the early arterialization of the vascular wall in a vein graft process. These results contribute to a better understanding of the morphopathological mechanism involved in vein graft failure. KEY WORDS: Hyperplasia; Morphology; Microsurgical model; Vascular adaptive changes; Venous graft