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BACKGROUND: Data about performance measures (PM) in patients with ST segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) in low- and middle-income countries is really scarce. One of the reasons is the lack of appropriate measures for these scenarios where coronary intervention is not the standard treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a set of PM and quality markers for patients with STEMI in these countries. METHODS: Two investigators systematically reviewed existing guidelines and scientific literature to identify potential PM by referring to documents searched through PubMed from 2010 through 2019, using terms "Myocardial Infarction", "STEMI", "quality indicator", and "performance measure". A modified Delphi technique, involving multidisciplinary panel interview, was used. A 15-member multidisciplinary expert panel individually rated each potential indicator on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) during three rounds. All indicators that received a median score ≥4.5, in final round without significant disagreement were included as PM. RESULTS: Through the consensus-building process, 84 potential indicators were found, of which 10 were proposed as performance measures and 2 as quality metrics, as follows: Pre-Hospital Electrocardiogram; Patients with reperfusion therapy; Pre-hospital Reperfusion; Ischemic time less than 120 minutes; System delay time less than 90 minutes; In-hospital Mortality; Complete in-hospital Treatment; Complete in-hospital Treatment in patients with Heart Failure; 30 day-Re-admissions; 30 day-mortality; Patients with in-hospital stress test performed; and, Patients included in rehabilitation programs. CONCLUSION: This document provides the official set of PM of attention in ST segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction of the Cuban Society of Cardiology and Cuban National Group of Cardiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delineates a distinctly post-1960s expression of hunger and desire for food in Cuban and Egyptian cultural production. Hunger has always been present in aesthetic renditions of everyday life in both locales. Following the early-1960s socialist expansion of the role of the state, a new expression of hunger for animal protein emerged that relied on vegetarian tropes and parodied official discourse. Expressions of this "new hunger" captured the contradictory state of being conditioned, through state food programs, to see the consumption of animal products as the epitome of a healthy diet that endows one with the status of being "developed" and "modern" while simultaneously not being afforded satisfactory access to those food items due to conditions beyond one's individual control. In such contexts, the average citizen is primarily vegetarian and not by choice, while those with access to power live the promised dream of carnivorous plenty. This article analyzes several political speeches, cartoons, jokes, and songs to map the rhetorical and aesthetic characteristics of such satiric expressions and demonstrate how they were informed by the growing gap between early revolutionary official promises of food for all and actual food shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn the past three decades, Cuba has extended opportunities for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) to establish operations within its predominantly centrally planned economy. Many MNEs have seized this opportunity and established their presence in Cuba, resulting in FDI inflows reaching up to 2 per cent of GDP in certain years. In our paper, we aim to assess the impact of MNEs’ activity on local companies, with a specific focus on productivity spillover effects. Additionally, we analyze how institutional factors influence the strength of these effects. Our data collection involved conducting questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with MNEs operating in Cuba and experts on the Cuban economy. Our findings reveal that MNEs introduce new technology and knowledge to Cuba, thereby positively influencing the local development. We have confirmed the existence of vertical spillover effects, as certain MNEs provide direct assistance to local companies with whom they collaborate. The extent of these spillover effects is heavily contingent on Cuba’s institutional framework. Local regulations mandate that MNEs cooperate with local companies for various operations, such as expanding product distribution across the country, thus amplifying the impact. Conversely, spillover effects through labor mobility are limited, as there is a low rate of transition from MNEs to local companies among the local workforce. Stringent legal constraints further hinder interaction between MNEs and the Cuban private sector, thereby limiting the broader spillover effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to contribute with initial reflections on the adoption and regulation of cryptocurrencies, as well as blockchain technology in the case of Cuban socialism. It is assumed that both the cyclical crisis and the structural crisis represented by capitalism on a global scale contribute to the presence of this technology in Cuba. To this end, we seek to contextualize the regulation of crypto-activities in a planned economy and understand how this has resulted in the expansion of technology-based enterprises and projects supported by blockchain technology. Finally, with the contribution of the Political Economy of Communication, it is questioned to what extent cryptocurrencies can really solve the crisis of the Cuban system when democratization manifests itself only in the sphere of circulation, relegating the concentration of power and wealth that manifests itself in the productive sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yoselin Benitez Alfonso, a professor in interdisciplinary plant sciences at the University of Leeds, shares her journey and passion for plant science. Growing up in Cuba, she developed a love for nature and later pursued a degree in chemistry in Spain. Despite not having a biology background, she taught herself plant biology and became interested in plasmodesmata research. She is motivated by her love for research, the success of her students, and the impact of her contributions to teaching and diversity. She considers her father and various mentors as role models and enjoys reading papers on plasmodesmata research and plant symbiosis. Her favorite plant is the olive tree due to its symbolism, climate resilience, and economic significance. Yoselin is also involved in the Black in Plant Science Network and has received recognition for her leadership and academic achievements. [Extracted from the article]