Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud y Bienestar Humano
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Integral communication on city-brands making: Contributions, strains and challenges [Comunicación integral en construcción de marcas ciudad: Aportes, tensiones y desafíos]

2017 , Navas J.S.G. , Gonzalez, J.

The following qualitative work analyzes the relationship between integrated communication and the construction of city brands from the very perspective of the professionals of communication, who allocate different meanings to this process. The construction of city brands is challenging. There has been an investigation coming from the tensions and challenges that arise from the construction and management of a city brand. Furthermore, a research was carried out through open interviews and discussion groups, this technique allowed to frame historically and socially the professional experiences and the collective construction of a dialogue. Additionally, based on a thematic and content analysis, the textual data was organized and analyzed, this process allowed to created categories and a referential framework that places the purpose of the study. In conclusion, a renaissance figure in communication vanishes before the active participation of all the communication professionals, who ought to work in an integrated, inclusive and collaborative processes beyond the commercial and tourist point, thus, a real change and transformation of a city could be seen from inside and out.

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Body Composition Evaluation using Bioelectrical Impedance and its Impact on Academic Performance of Nursing Students

2023 , Romero Riaño, Paola , Camaño Carball, Lilian , Yánez-Rueda H. , Buele, Jorge

In the past, nutritional assessment relied on manual measurements that did not allow for the differentiation of body composition components. With technological advancements, the introduction of bioelectrical impedance has provided a more specific approach to obtaining results. This study aims to utilize this innovative method to assess the connection between body composition and academic performance in nursing students. The research focused on a representative sample of 89 participants, utilizing bioelectrical impedance to measure the primary bioelements of the human body. Strong and significant correlations were observed between height and weight, height and muscle mass, and muscle mass and weight. A moderate correlation was found between weight and fat, as well as significant weak correlations between age and fat, and between fat and body mass index. Additionally, a significant weak negative correlation was observed between height and fat. Of the participants, 42.2% of women and 48% of men were classified as overweight. However, the statistical analysis did not reveal significant correlations between academic performance and variables such as weight, muscle mass, fat, and body mass index. Based on this information, it was concluded that most students had a body mass index within the normal range, and no direct relationship between body composition and academic performance was identified. Continuous monitoring of overweight students using this technology is recommended to promote healthy nutritional practices. © 2023 IEEE.

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Hearing Loss Profiles in Sporadic and Familial Microtia: Clinical Insights From an Ecuadorian Cohort

2025 , González Andrade, Fabricio , Fausto Coello , Edwin Andrade , Henry Vásconez

Microtia is a congenital anomaly of the external ear that often leads to hearing loss due to associated auditory canal and middle ear malformations. While right‐ear predominance and conductive hearing loss are well‐documented, few studies have compared anatomical and audiological differences between sporadic and familial cases, especially in underrepresented populations.ObjectiveTo compare the clinical, anatomical, and auditory characteristics of patients with sporadic versus familial microtia in an Ecuadorian cohort.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted on 146 patients with microtia, classified as either sporadic or familial. Demographic, clinical, and risk factor data were collected through structured interviews. Audiological evaluations included auditory evoked potentials, otoacoustic emissions, tympanometry, pure‐tone audiometry, and speech audiometry, based on patient age and canal patency. Statistical analysis included Mann–Whitney U and Chi‐square tests (p < 0.05).ResultsRight‐ear involvement was most common (45.45%). Grade 3 microtia was the most prevalent, while Grade 4 was observed exclusively in familial cases. Conductive hearing loss predominated (74.67% left ear, 83.33% right ear). Although no significant differences in hearing loss type or severity were found between groups, familial cases showed a trend toward more severe impairment. Otoacoustic emissions and stapedial reflexes were more frequently absent in right ears. Pure tone perception and speech recognition were also more impaired on the right side.ConclusionMicrotia is most commonly right‐sided and associated with significant conductive hearing loss. Familial cases may present with more severe features. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential to mitigate developmental consequences, particularly in resource‐limited settings.

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Cereals as sources of lysine in the reformulation of meat products. Evaluation using a biosensor

2025 , Erika Alvarez Cañarte , Guilber Vergara Velez , Frank Guillermo Intriago Flor , Efrain Pérez Vega , Miguel Andrès Falconi Vèlez , Delia Noriega Verdugo , Génesis Pamela García García , Livis Sharith Díaz Alarcón , Andrés Miguel Anchundia Loor , Carlos Jadán-Piedra , Jadán Piedra, Felipe

The energy and protein requirements of the population must be met, and the use of new analytical methods for rapid, low-cost detection of essential elements like lysine in reformulated foods is crucial. In this context, conditions were evaluated to develop a biosensor with lysine alpha oxidase (LOx), which showed high affinity for lysine with a KM of 0.32 mM. Different concentrations of cereals and legumes (70-30; 55-45; 85-15; quinoa-Lablab Purpureus; pole beans-Lablab Purpureus; and rye-Lablab Purpureus) were incorporated into meat sausages to enrich lysine, achieving a significant increase in lysine concentration (up to 75%) when 15% quinoa was substituted. The potentiometric signal, related to oxygen consumption during lysine oxidation, was detected at 15 s using a voltage of −600 mV. The biosensor, coupled with the immobilized enzyme, allowed the use of low volumes. A positive relationship was found between oxygen consumption (mg O2/L∗s-1) and lysine concentration in the range of 0.01–0.2 mM, with an R2 of 0.9964. The immobilized enzyme-based sensor demonstrated good sensitivity (0.01 mM) and the membrane could be reused up to 18 times, maintaining 92% of its initial activity after 70 days. The biosensor method showed minimal residue formation and had a strong correlation with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results, validating its accuracy

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SURROGATE MOTHERHOOD, QUESTIONS [MATERNIDAD SUBROGADA, CUESTIONAMIENTOS]

2023 , Carrillo A.F.

Currently, surrogate motherhood is configured as an assisted motherhood technique, which, in some societies, is accepted and regulated. However, its approval in other societies is still under debate, which is how this work proposes as a general objective Critically review the conception of the fundamental rights that are at stake in favor of the sons and daughters who were born by this technique. For this purpose, a qualitative approach has been used, since it responds to a descriptive investigation of the bibliographic review type, based on the following historical-logical, analytical-synthetic and inductive methods, which allow certain questions to be made regarding the rights of the fathers or mothers of those people who are born as a result of surrogate motherhood. Putting in this way to the public arena, a real, current and controversial situation, which should be better analyzed, to guarantee the fundamental rights of the parties that derive from human dignity. © 2023, University of Cienfuegos, Carlos Rafael Rodriguez. All rights reserved.

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Aggression and violence in adolescents in the iberoamerican context, a systematic review

2022 , Javela, J.J. , Naranjo-Niño, B. , Ospina-Sánchez, D.J. , Bahamon, M , Cuesta-Guzmán, M. , Sánchez-Villegas, M. , Moreno-Londoño, H.

This research is a systematic review that uses the Prism method, searching different databases to systematically analyze studies related to aggression and violence in adolescents in Iberoamerica. Objective: The present study aims to systematically analyze studies related to aggression and violence in adolescents in Iberoamerica. Method: Research works were collected from a total of 5 databases. For the selection of the articles, keywords or search terms were entered, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. After the complete reading, a total of 47 research studies were selected. Results: The country retrieved with the largest number of articles was Brazil with a total of 11 documents, followed by Spain with ten, and the United States with a total of eight documents. It was also found that the database with the largest number of articles retrieved was Scopus, with 21 papers equivalent to 44.7 % of the total documents retrieved, followed by Science Direct and SciELO, each with a percentage of 19.1 %, equivalent to 9 documents. © 2022 Academia Nacional de Medicina. All rights reserved.

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Severe menopausal symptoms linked to cognitive impairment: an exploratory study

2024 , Calle Miñaca, Andrés , Juan E. Blümel , Peter Chedraui , María S. Vallejo , Alejandra Belardo , Maribel Dextre , Alejandra Elizalde-Cremonte , Carlos Escalante , María T. Espinoza , Gustavo Gómez-Tabares , Álvaro Monterrosa-Castro , Mónica Ñañez , Eliana Ojeda , Claudia Rey , Doris Rodríguez , Marcio A. Rodrigues , Carlos Salinas , Konstantinos Tserotas , Sócrates Aedo

Objective To evaluate the association between menopausal symptoms and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women. Methods This was a subanalysis of a cross-sectional, observational study conducted among women attending gynecological consultations across nine Latin American countries. The survey involved late postmenopausal women who were asked to complete a general questionnaire and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) to assess menopausal symptoms, with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment used to evaluate cognitive function as an outcome. A Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of less than 21 was used to define women with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Results The study included 1,287 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 55.5 years and a mean body mass index of 26.3 kg/m2. On average, participants had 13.8 years of education and 2.3 ± 1.8 children, with 72.8% reporting having a partner. Additionally, 36.7% ever used menopausal hormone therapy. Regarding lifestyle factors, 50.3% engaged in a sedentary lifestyle, whereas 70.5% had never smoked. 15.3% of women had MCI exhibited significantly more intense menopausal symptoms compared with those without MCI (MRS total score 15.24 ± 12.58 vs 10.53 ± 8.84, respectively, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between severe menopausal symptoms (MRS total score ≥14 points) and MCI (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; 95% CI, 1.25-2.42). Conversely, a lower body mass index (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98), sexual activity (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.96), physical exercise (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.39-0.76), menopausal hormone therapy use (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.24-0.55), and higher educational level (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.21-0.46) were associated with lower odds for MCI. Conclusion Severe menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women were associated with cognitive impairment. This study highlights the intricate interplay between hormonal, lifestyle, and sociodemographic factors and cognitive health.

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Survival Analysis of Patients with Primary Retroperitoneal Tumors in a Specialty Hospital in Quito-Ecuador in the Period 2009-2019

2024 , Andres Moreno Roca , Sánchez , Xavier , Ricardo Manosalvas , Luciana Armijos , Ruth JimboSotomayor , Oscar Jaramillo , Alfredo Viloria

Purpose: Primary retroperitoneal tumors (PRT) are various heterogeneous types of neoplasms that have a frequency of less than 1%. The main factors associated with survival are time with the disease, treatment received, and recurrence. This study analyzed the clinical and pathological factors that influence the survival outcomes in patients with PRT. Methods: A retrospective cohort study and a survival analysis were conducted using the available data in the electronic clinical records of patients with a diagnosis of PRT in a specialty hospital in Quito-Ecuador between 2009 and 2019. The included patients were those coded according to the ICD-10 with the C48.0 and C48.8 code. The univariate analysis calculated frequencies, average, and dispersion measurements. Through the Kaplan-Meier method, survival time was analyzed among the different categories of included variables. These differences were shown through the log-rank test. Results: Sarcomas were the most common type of retroperitoneal tumor found. The median survival period among patients was 14 months. Several significant variables were found to be associated with lower rates of survival, including clinical stages III and IV and status of surgical resection. Conclusion: Most of the patients were detected in the late stages of the disease. This could be behind the higher mortality rate and low survival among patients. Variables such clinical stages and status of surgical resection were important risk factors for mortality and should be considered for the prognosis.

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Arboviruses in Mammals in the Neotropics: A Systematic Review to Strengthen Epidemiological Monitoring Strategies and Conservation Medicine

2023 , García-Romero C. , Carrillo Bilbao G.A. , Navarro J.-C. , Martin-Solano S. , Saegerman C.

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are a diverse group of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses, with the exception of African swine fever virus, that are transmitted by hematophagous arthropods to a vertebrate host. They are the important cause of many diseases due to their ability to spread in different environments and their diversity of vectors. Currently, there is no information on the geographical distribution of the diseases because the routes of transmission and the mammals (wild or domestic) that act as potential hosts are poorly documented or unknown. We conducted a systematic review from 1967 to 2021 to identify the diversity of arboviruses, the areas, and taxonomic groups that have been monitored, the prevalence of positive records, and the associated risk factors. We identified forty-three arboviruses in nine mammalian orders distributed in eleven countries. In Brazil, the order primates harbor the highest number of arbovirus records. The three most recorded arboviruses were Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis and West Nile virus. Serum is the most used sample to obtain arbovirus records. Deforestation is identified as the main risk factor for arbovirus transmission between different species and environments (an odds ratio of 1.46 with a 95% confidence interval: 1.34–1.59). The results show an increase in the sampling effort over the years in the neotropical region. Despite the importance of arboviruses for public health, little is known about the interaction of arboviruses, their hosts, and vectors, as some countries and mammalian orders have not yet been monitored. Long-term and constant monitoring allows focusing research on the analysis of the interrelationships and characteristics of each component animal, human, and their environment to understand the dynamics of the diseases and guide epidemiological surveillance and vector control programs. The biodiversity of the Neotropics should be considered to support epidemiological monitoring strategies. © 2023 by the authors.

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Methodological strategy for asynchronous learning mathematical operations with real numbers

2022 , Espinosa-Pinos C.A. , Nunez-Torres M.G. , Jordan-Buenano N. , Jordan-Buenano C.

Consolidating the skills to use concepts, properties, and procedures based on algorithms or heuristics and analysis to solve challenging situations is of great importance for students in their learning. This article aims to propose a methodological strategy based on adaptive learning to facilitate the solution of combined operations with real numbers in eighth-grade students of basic general education. The mixed method uses questionnaires applied to students and teachers to collect data. The diagnosis determines that students do not master the basic competencies to work basic operations with real numbers. The teachers agree with the need to apply innovative strategies that promote learning in mathematics. It is concluded that it is imperative to update the planning of content with activities that help motivate students to learn mathematics, considering that not everyone learns at the same pace. © 2022 IEEE.

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