Normalizing Rejection

Getting turned down for grant funding or having a manuscript rejected is an uncomfortable but not unusual occurrence during the course of a nurse researcher’s professional life. Rejection can evoke an emotional response akin to the grieving process that can slow or even undermine productivity. Only by “normalizing” rejection, that is, by accepting it as an integral part of the scientific process, can researchers more quickly overcome negative emotions and instead use rejection to refine and advance their scientific programs. This article provides practical advice for coming to emotional terms with rejection and delineates methods for working constructively to address reviewer comments

LASIK monocular en pacientes adultos con ambliopía por anisometropía

ResumenObjetivoDeterminar la eficacia y la seguridad del LASIK en el tratamiento de la ambliopía por anisometropía en pacientes adultos.MétodosSerie de casos. Estudiamos a 12 pacientes adultos ambliopes por anisometropía a los cuales se realizó LASIK monocular de nuestro servicio de Córnea y Cirugía Refractiva. Evaluamos el error refractivo pre y postoperatorio, equivalente esférico (ES), la agudeza visual sin corrección (AVSC) y la agudeza visual mejor corregida (AVMC). La agudeza visual medida por la cartilla de Snellen fue convertida a LogMAR con fines de análisis estadístico.ResultadosLa edad promedio fue de 31.92 (± 12.13) años. El ES preoperatorio promedio en el ojo tratado fue de –3.49 D (± 3.24), el ES promedio del ojo no tratado fue de 0.25 D (± 0.30). La AVSC preoperatoria fue de 1.12 (± 0.3) LogMAR y la AVMC preoperatoria fue 0.31 (± 0.1) LogMAR. El seguimiento promedio fue de 19.1 (rango 6-74) meses. El ES promedio postoperatorio disminuyó a –0.28 (± 0.48). Cinco pacientes (42%) ganaron una línea de visión, un (8%) paciente ganó 2 líneas de visión y un (8%) paciente ganó 3 líneas de visión. El resto (42%) permaneció sin cambios comparados a la AVMC preoperatoria. Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre la AVSC preoperatoria (1.12 [±0.3]) y la AVSC postoperatoria (0.27 [±0.1]) (p=0.002, Z-Wilcoxon) y entre la AVMC postoperatoria (0.23 [±0.12]) y la AVMC preoperatoria (0.31 [±0.1]) (p=0.014, Z-Wilcoxon). No hubo complicaciones relacionadas con la cirugía.ConclusionesLa cirugía refractiva monocular en pacientes con ambliopía por anisometropía es una opción terapéutica segura y efectiva que ofrece resultados visuales satisfactorios, preservando o incluso mejorando la AVMC preoperatoria.AbstractPurposeTo investigate the efficacy and safety of LASIK for the correction of anisometropic amblyopia in adult patients.MethodsA retrospective, case series. We found 12 amblyopic adult patients that underwent monocular LASIK for anisometropía in our Cornea and Refractive service. We evaluated the preoperative and postoperative refractive error, spherical equivalent (SE), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Snellen visual acuity measurements were converted to LogMAR for statistical purposes.ResultsThe mean age was 31.92 (±12.13) years. The average preoperative SE in the treated eyes was -3.49 (±3.24), the average SE of the untreated eye was 0.25(±0.30). Preoperative UCVA was 1.12 (±0.3) and average preoperative BCVA was 0.31 (±0.1). All patients had LASIK with an average follow-up time of 19.1(6-74) months. The average postoperative SE decreased to -0.28 (±0.48). Five patients (42%) gained 1 line of vision, 1 (8%) patient gained 2 lines of vision, 1 (8%) patient gained 3 lines of vision and the rest (42%) remained unchanged compared to preoperative BCVA. Statistically significant differences were observed between the preoperative UCVA [1.12 (±0.3)] with the postoperative UCVA [0.27 (±0.1)](p=0.002, Z-Wilcoxon) and between the postoperative BCVA [0.23 (±0.12)] with the preoperative BCVA [0.31 (±0.1)] (p=0.014, Z-Wilcoxon). There were no complications related to the surgical procedures.ConclusionsMonocular refractive surgery in adult patients with anisometropic amblyopia is a safe and effective therapeutic option that offers a satisfactory visual outcome, preserving or even improving the preoperative BCVA

Formación de partículas de polietilenglicol en presencia de calcitonina como nuevos biomateriales

En este estudio, la formación de partículas de polietilenglicol en presencia de calcitonina de varios tamaños, es presentado. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo mostrar una fácil ruta para la formación de nuevos biomateriales usando sistemas biológicos. La muestra de polietilenglicol fue preparada con Calcitonina; subsecuentemente, las muestras fueron sujetas a tratamiento térmico a 28° C. Las características estructurales y morfológicas fueron determinadas usando Difracción de Rayos–X, Microscopia Electrónico de Barrido, Análisis de Energía Dispersiva de Rayos-X y Microscopia Electrónico de Transmisión. Los resultados mostraron la formación de partículas con tamaños de 1 a 3 μm de diámetro. La presencia de fase cristalina no pudo ser detectada mediante difracción de rayos-X. Se observaron además, partículas de 5 nm en la estructura del compuesto. Este resultado, es importante en medicina, porque partículas de Polietilenglicol/Calcitonina pueden ser aplicadas como vehículos farmacéuticos. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54167/tecnociencia.v1i3.5

Salud paso por paso : a culturally-tailored physical activity intervention with hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Limited information is available regarding culturally-tailored physical activity (PA) interventions for Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A community-partnered approach was used to examine a novel culturally-tailored PA intervention using a pre-post, no control group design. The intervention consisted of six weekly 45-minute sessions for participants to engage in PA led by the researcher. A total of 21 individuals participated in the study. The typical participant was a 53-year-old female (90 percent) Hispanic adult living with T2DM with low acculturation. On average, before the intervention, the participants walked 10,285 (sd 14,779) steps per week with 43.4 (sd 68.1) minutes of PA per week. Despite implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic, the intervention was feasible and acceptable, and 19 (90.5 percent) participants attended all intervention sessions. There were significant increases in steps per week (p=0.007; d=1.03) and minutes of PA per week (p=0.000; d=1.62). Findings suggest that Salud Paso por Paso has promise as a strategy to enhance PA behaviors in the priority population. A randomized, controlled trial with a larger study sample is warranted to examine efficacy and impact on the diabetes health outcomes of Hispanic adults with T2DM.Includes bibliographical references

Lost in Translation? Mexican Food in Taiwan as a Cultural Marker of Identity

墨西哥食物在台灣是比較新的和不為人知的台灣人民學習 無論是媒體，個人旅遊體驗，當地餐館還是偶爾 事件。不過，這些餐廳提供的菜單與原始食物不同 在墨西哥在成分和口味方面。這些差異很重要 為了保存墨西哥的身份。在這項研究中，半結構化訪談 為了更好地了解台灣的墨西哥食品生產商的作用， 糧食文化融合。受訪的人表示擔心 他們的食物作為保存他們的文化遺產的一種方式作為過程的一部分 融入台灣社會。這些人的真實性也是一個問題 保持自己的身份，而不僅僅是一個營銷策略。真實性和 在文獻綜述中對文化撥款進行了討論，以更好地理解文獻 受訪者的證詞。文化衝擊和符號學也被納入了 討論作為一個理論背景來提出討論的可能性 把食物作為一種交際手段來把它解釋為一種文化特徵。Mexican food in Taiwan is relatively new and unknown, people in Taiwan learn about it either from media, personal travel experiences, local restaurants or occasional events. However, menus available at these restaurants differ from the original food made in Mexico in terms of ingredients and taste. These differences are important in order to preserve Mexican identity. In this study, semi-structured interviews with Mexican food producers in Taiwan were conducted to better understand the role of food in cultural integration. The people interviewed expressed concern for having their food present as a way to preserve their cultural heritage as part of the process of integration to Taiwanese society. Authenticity for these people is a matter of also preserving their identity and not merely a marketing strategy. Authenticity and cultural appropriation are discussed in the literature review to better understand the testimony of interviewees. Culture shock and semiotics are also brought into the discussion as a theoretical background to raise the discussion on the possibility of treating food as a communicative device to interpret it as a cultural identity marker

Composición química y producción del pasto Pennisetum purpureum en la época de lluvias y diferentes estados de madurez

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and forage production of Pennisetum purpureum (maralfalfa) in the rainy season at different stages of maturity, the sowing density of pasture was established at three tons per hectare. Samples at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days were taken of 10 sites, each one of a linear meter. At each stage of maturity of grass was measured: height to the last knot, height to the tip of the leaf, number of leaves, kilograms of biomass, and estimate yield in tons per hectare. Analysis of dry matter, crude protein (CP), ash and fractions fiber (NDF and ADF), were determined. All agronomic variables were greater at 120 days; increasing time regrowth was decreasing the amount of crude protein and increasing the amount of cell walls. At 60 days the amount of CP was 13.8% and 14 tons / ha of dry matter production. It can be concluded that Pennisetum purpureum has a higher nutritional value than observed in most tropical grasses; and that it is adversely affected as the plant maturity progresses.El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la composición química y producción de forraje del Pennisetum purpureum (maralfalfa) en época de lluvias en diferentes estados de madurez, para lo cual se estableció la siembra del pasto con una densidad de tres toneladas por ha. Se tomaron muestras a los 30, 60, 90 y 120 días de 10 sitios, siendo cada sitio de un metro lineal. En cada estado de madurez del pasto se midió: altura al último nudo, altura a la punta de la hoja, número de hojas, kilogramos de biomasa para estimar el rendimiento en toneladas por hectárea, los datos se analizaron con un diseño de bloques completos al azar. Para el análisis de químico, utilizando un análisis de varianza completamente al azar. La diferencia entre medias se hizo con la prueba de Tukey (P<0.05). Se realizó el análisis de humedad, proteína cruda (PC), cenizas y de fibra. Todas las variables agronómicas estudiadas fueron mayores a los 120 días; al aumentar el tiempo de rebrote fue disminuyendo la cantidad de proteína cruda y aumentando la cantidad de paredes celulares. A los 60 días la cantidad de PC fue de 13.8% y la producción de materia seca de 14 Ton/ha. Se puede concluir que Pennisetum purpureum posee un valor nutritivo superior al observado en la mayoría de los pastos tropicales; y que ésta se afecta negativamente a medida que avanza la madurez de la planta

Correlation of age, corneal curvature and spherical equivalent with central corneal thickness

Objective: To describe the distribution of the central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements on a healthy Hispanic sample population and its correlation with age, mean simulated keratometry (SimK), and mean refractive spherical equivalent (MRSE). Methods: Retrospective analysis on the records of healthy patients from the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Institute, Tecnologico de Monterrey, January 2015 to August 2015. CCT data, age, gender, corneal curvature, and spherical equivalent was obtained. A descriptive analysis and correlation by the Spearman method was performed. The sample was divided by age subgroups: than 40 years old and correlation analysis with CCT values was determined. Results: A total of 93 (186 eyes) patients were included. Mean age: 32.54 ± 12.04 years. 43% were women. Mean CCT: 545.69 ± 36.88 μm, mean SimK: 43.56 ± 1.90 D and MRSE: −2.54 ± 3.15 D. No correlation was registered between CCT and the variables when analyzed with the Anderson–Darling (p = 0.006), Shapiro–Wilk (p = 0.043), and Kolmogorov–Smirnov (p = 0.01). CCT showed a bimodal distribution with higher density at 540 μm. Age groups 40 years showed significant difference in CCT (p = 0.016), a positive correlation with CCT was observed in the group <20 (ρ = 0.596, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings regarding the lack of normality, the bimodal distribution (540 μm), and the correlation between age and CCT in younger patients, may lead us to redefine the “normal” CCT value in our population in order to be used properly for clinical purposes

Temperature stimuli-responsive nanoparticles from chitosan-graft-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) as a drug delivery system

This work describes the preparation of thermosensitive chitosan-graft-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) nanoparticles by ionic gelation and their potential use as a controlled drug delivery system, using doxorubicin as a model drug. A systematic study of the effect of the main processing parameters on both the size and thermoresponsive behavior of nanoparticles was investigated. The size of the particles is strongly dependent on the length of the poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) grafted chains and the concentration of the copolymer and crosslinking agent solutions. The molecular structure of the copolymer plays an essential role in the phase transition temperature of the particles, which decreases with the length of PVCL grafted chain. The system displayed proper drug-association parameters, and the drug-loaded nanoparticles exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity. A significant increase in the doxorubicin delivery rate was observed above the phase transition temperature (40 °C). These features indicate that these nanoparticles are suitable for the development of a new thermally controlled anti-cancer drug delivery system. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47831.The authors acknowledge the Mexican Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) for their financial support through the project PDCAPN-2014/248982. D.F.Q. acknowledges a grant from CONACYT (AIIVFPN-2017/291229). The authors are grateful for the technical support of Dr. Alvaro González-Gómez from ICTP-CSIC and M.C. Karla Martínez-Robinson, M.C. Luisa L. Silva, Q.B. Alma Campa-Mada, and Prof.Miguel A.Martínez-Tellez fromCIAD.Peer Reviewe

The effect of SMED on benefits gained in maquiladora industry

Nowadays, Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) has achieved great industrial popularity. However, it remains unclear to what extent and how SMED implementation at its different stages benefits industries. To address this gap, this research proposes a structural equation model to quantitatively measure SMED effects. The model has six hypotheses that link SMED stages and benefits. To statistically validate such hypotheses, a questionnaire was administered to 373 Mexican maquiladoras located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Results show that before starting SMED implementation process, companies must be appropriately familiarized with their production process. Mainly, manufacturing companies in Ciudad Juárez need to focus their efforts on the SMED planning stage (Step 1) in order to identify important internal production activities and turn them into external activities. In fact, SMED planning stage has direct and indirect effects on subsequent stages and SMED benefits. © 2016 by the author