Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

This paper presents the project-based learning methodology applied to the development of the Process Engineering Course of Chemical Engineering Major at Técnica Particular de Loja University. A theoretical and experimental design project was planned, implemented and evaluated to obtain biodiesel from domestically used oil.At the end of the course, assessment instruments were applied to understand the students' perception of various aspects inherent to the subject development, competences acquisition, and the project design. In addition, other aspects related to the teacher’s observation regarding the students’ participation in terms of entrance to the virtual learning environment, tutorial attendance, grade average of both the course and the project application were evaluated. The project-based learning methodology of was implemented as a corrective measure to solve problems found in the previous course edition, cohort year 2012, regarding the need to incorporate more experimental activities in this subject development. The analysis of the Process Engineering Course development of 2012 and 2013 cohorts determines the effectiveness of this didactic methodology to promote occupational-field related training activities, since it generates greater involvement of students towards the planned training activities. Besides, it was an enriching experience for the teacher, aimed at improving his academic work and the creation of more interactive learning environments.

This research is aimed at doing an approximation to a mathematical model creation to know the growth dynamics of local varieties of corn, cultivated in association or not with a legume in the agro-ecological conditions of Imbabura Province. The model development started with the corn planting at different times of the year (2015 and 2016) in the Experimental Farm at the “Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador” located in Ibarra; for this, a randomized complete blocks design was used in A x B factorial arrangement. After the statistical analysis, differences were established among the sowing seasons, but not for the varieties nor the association with the legume; that is why, a preliminary model was established for the corn cultivation in similar agro-ecological zones. The conclusion was that a minimum relative humidity increment of the air influences directly on the biomass yield of the corn grown in the conditions of Ibarra City.

Background: the leiomyosarcoma of the superior cava vein is a rare illness and more when it extends to the cardiac cavities. Objective: to present to the medical community a female patient with leiomyosarcoma of the superior cava vein that extended intraluminal form to the right cavities of the heart causing obstruction and cardiogenic shock. Clinical case: a 45-year-old white female patient with no morbid health history, who presented redness of the face and exhaustion of the extremities when combing. A computerized axial tomography was performed where a lesion suggestive of thrombosis was identified. It was decided to transfer her to a specialized center, in which it is concluded that the patient was a carrier of a non-thrombotic tumor lesion, which turned out to be benign in a biopsy done for which follow-up is decided. The patient reenters in a state of cardiogenic shock due to progression of the disease, which is why her emergency surgical treatment is decided and die during surgery. Conclusions: the leiomyosarcoma of the superior vena cava is a rare illness, with few reports in the literature. A case in which the tumor extended intraluminally to the right cardiac cavities (atrium and ventricle) is presented. DeCS: LEIOMYOSARCOMA; SUPERIOR VENA CAVA SYNDROME; HEART ATRIA; HEART VENTRICLES; CASE REPORTS.

Background: the malaria as problem of world public health, affects a high number of persons every year. Coherent with evaluations of the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization, between 50 and 100 million cases of the illness are presented every year. Objective: to characterize the malaria as an endemic illness in Ecuador. Methods: a bibliographical review of a whole of 23 articles was carried out in the Scopus, Latindex and SciELO databases, by means of a search engine and Endnote references manager, of them 22 correspond to last four years, 12 correspond to articles in different electronic magazines and web sites specializing in the topic and 11 to reports and documents of world organizations, of which 72 quotations selected for the review were used. Development: the different documents related to the statistics, emphasize the increase of the malaria in different areas of the planet, for which actions that contribute to its decrease and even eradication are carried out, nevertheless in Ecuador, in the last two years the results are unfavorable in this sense. Conclusions: it is clear that the managers of the public health and community factors of every country affected by malaria, must assume a preventive approach that looks over the problems of health of the communities and favors the environment, they encourage in initiatives that promote major environmental responsibility in favor of eradicating it. In case of Ecuador, there appear unfavorable results that tend to the increase of this illness. DeCS: MALARIA/prevention & control; MALARIA/epidemiology; ENDEMIC DISEASES/prevention&control; DISEASE ERADICATION/statistics&numerical data; ECUADOR.

Background: pseudomembranous colitis is a disease caused by Clostridium difficile in recent times has attracted the attention of the medical community, due to an increase in the incidence in health institutions, as well as in the community, motivated by the more frequent use and sometimes not ordered antimicrobials. Objective: to describe a case of a patient with a postmortem diagnosis of pseudomembranous colitis. Clinical case: a 71-year-old male patient with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and mitral prosthetic valve to receive from several months prophylactic antimicrobial cycles every month to avoid respiratory infections, who is admitted due to scarce diarrheic stools, but frequent with abundant blood and mucus accompanied by fever and abdominal pain, with an intra-hospital torpid evolution until his death, performing the diagnosis of pseudomembranous colitis in the necropsy study. Conclusions: the pseudomembranous colitis produced by Clostridium difficile is a disease that has to be kept in mind in the diagnoses of hospitalized patients who are under antimicrobial treatment or who come from the community where they were prescribed with this type of drugs. DeCS: ENTEROCOLITIS, PSEUDOMEMBRANOUS/diagnosis; CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE/drug effects; ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS/therapeutic use; AUTOPSY; CASE REPORTS.

Background: malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are soft tissue sarcomas with a low incidence. Objective: to present a case of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the left sciatic nerve who underwent surgical treatment at the University Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech in the province of Camagüey in June, 2018. Presentation of the case: a 45 year-old male patient, personal history of neurofibromatosis type 1 with a truncal left sciatic pain that turned permanent. He referred gait difficulties and increase of the volume in the left buttock. A tumor mass of seven centimeters was palpated, firm, fix to deep planes and painful at deep palpation. Soft tissue ultrasonography showed: complex oval hypoechoic image of deep location of 45 X 9 X 20 millimeters of regular and well defined contours at 22 millimeters depth from the skin. Surgical treatment was decided base on the tumor resection and radiotherapy. Definitive biopsy after immune histochemistry, informed a high degree malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of a previous neurofibroma. Conclusions: malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are weird neoplasias and even more its proximal location. The presented patient despite the radical surgical resection associated to radiotherapy, the size superior to ten centimeters, the association to neurofibromatosis type 1 and the high histological degree, worsen the forecast. The precocious diagnosis and accurate treatment are important. DeCS: PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM NEOPLASMS/surgery; NEURILEMMOMA/surgery; NEURILEMMOMA/diagnostic imaging; NEUROFIBROMA; CASE REPORTS.

Background: although the chronic hepatic illness as complication of the cystic fibrosis has been eclipsed by other signs and more obvious symptoms at breathing and pancreatic level, is the second cause of death in the patients with cystic fibrosis. Objective: to present the case of a three year-old transitional one with hepatomegaly and hepatic analytic tests altered as initial manifestations of the cystic fibrosis. Clinical case: a three-year old, female patient with history of abdominal distension, hepatomegaly, and malnutrition. For this symptoms, she is remitted to the Gastroenterology consultation. Conclusions: the cystic fibrosis should be suspected in pediatric patient with chronic hepatic diseases. Clinical improvement of the breathing manifestations was observed and of the nutritional state, however the chronic hepatic disease evolved to the established hepatic cirrhosis. DeCS: HEPATOMEGALY; CYSTIC FIBROSIS/mortality; CYSTIC FIBROSIS/complications; LIVER CIRRHOSIS/complications; CHILD, PRESCHOOL.

Background: continuing education of nursing professionals is an important tool for personal achievement and work performance. Updating one’s professional knowledge is essential in order fulfill the social responsibility of offering quality healthcare for patients. Objective: to determine the need for post graduate education in the nursing profession. Methods: a quantitative, cross sectional study was done among nursing professionals working in different areas of public health and social security in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas from June to August 2018. The universe of study was 540 nursing professionals in which inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, with the sample consisting of 418. Results: majority of the professionals who participated in the study work at the second level of health care, these professionals need post-graduate study, which can be a master’s degree or a specialization program. Specifically, there is preference for studying critical care and blended learning is the modality of choice by the participants of the study. Conclusions: there is a need for post-graduate studies in the nursing profession. Continuing education will upgrade, broaden and improve the performance of professionals. In addition, it will enhance the quality of nursing care and work competencies of professionals.DeCS: EDUCATION, NURSING, GRADUATE; SPECIALTIES, NURSING; EDUCATION, NURSING, CONTINUING; NURSE'S ROLE; NURSING CARE.

Background: prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men. However, many men who develop prostate cancer never have symptoms, nor they undergo therapy. Several factors, including genetics and diet, have been implicated in its development; the known primary prevention modalities are insufficient to eliminate the risk of contracting the disease. Objective: to propose a self-care strategy in the elderly with prostate cancer in the community. Methods: intervention and development study in the Polyclinic Center of the Municipality and Province of Sancti Spíritus, from 2016 to 2017. Study variables were level of knowledge of physicians, self-care, health status, survival. Structured interview was used to elderly people with prostate cancer in the community to know the improvement of health status, after applying the strategy population proportions were compared by McNemar test. Results: significant changes were achieved in the level of knowledge of physicians, at the end of the training program it was obtained a 56.52 % which shows an acceptable level. 61,53 % of the health status of the elderly was good; self-care was reached in an acceptable manner in 63.46 %. The survival with more than ten years after applying the strategy was 67.30 %. Conclusions: the self-care strategy was achieved in older adults with prostate cancer, which includes actions and activities that favor the achievement of significant changes in self-care. DeCS: PROSTATIC NEOPLASMS; AGED; SELF CARE; HEALTH STATUS; CLINICAL TRIAL.