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

Pacaya is a composite stratovolcano with a predominantly strombolian eruptive style. Located south of Lake Amatitlán and 30 kilometers south-southwest of Guatemala City. Since 1961, it has experienced periods of high and low surface activity. By the end of 2020, its activity increased significantly, marking the beginning of another highly active phase. This escalation is inferred to have been triggered by volcanic seismic events that occurred in June 2020. This paper describes the effusive eruption that took place between March 5 and April 24, 2021, during which the activity alternated between effusive activity (lava) and explosive activity (ash columns).

To the east of the town of Turin (Tilaran range), there is a gold mineralization consisting of a series of quartz/adularia veins, stockwork zones, and hydrothermal alteration (propylitic, argillic, and phyllic) which outcrop along the Cañita creek valley and in several old underground workings. An adularia concentrate was dated by K-Ar providing an age of 2.0 ± 0.1 Ma, corresponding to the most recent date of gold mineralization of economic interest at the national level, just in correspondence with the beginning of the Monteverde Formation volcanism, metallogenetically barren.

In 1997, we identified as coyote (Canis latrans) a dentulous left dentary of a canid from the Upper Pleistocene of the Río Nacaome in northwestern Costa Rica. This identification has been questioned based on misconceptions about features of the dentary that supposedly diagnose C. latrans. We reaffirm the identity of the Río Nacaome canid as C. latrans based on long established features of the lower dentition that are diagnostic of C. latrans. We also refute the idea that certain features of the dentary are diagnostic of coyotes. The Nacaome coyote fossil is the only fossil of a coyote from Central America and establishes their late Pleistocene presence well south of records in southern Mexico.

Introduction: The Cuban National Regulatory Authority (CECMED) is responsible for promoting and protecting the health of the population through an effective and transparent system of regulation, control and health surveillance. All these processes are developed with the support of scientific research. Due to the relevance of research for this center, the need to evaluate its behavior arises to determine its impact and propose strategic actions for the correct development of regulatory processes. Objective: To describe the behavior of CECMED's scientific production in the international context in order to optimize the management of the institution's research activity. Material and Methods: A retrospective and descriptive bibliometric study of the last 25 years of CECMED's scientific production was carried out, using the Scopus database as the main source of information. Results: A total of 107 articles with low scientific production were identified; 458 citations and an H-index = 12 were obtained. The predominant documentary typology was the Original Article. Publications in international journals registered the highest percentage of citations. More than half of the papers were developed in international collaboration and the most addressed topics were Pharmacology and Medicine. Conclusions: Despite being a unique institution in the country and a reference in the Latin American region, no synergy between the technical regulatory work and the scientific research processes has been achieved, which directly affects the dissemination of research results in the international context.

Introduction: Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the leading cause of death from malignancy in children. Objective: To evaluate predictive factors for mortality in Cuban children with the disease. Material and Methods: A retrospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted between January 2012 and December 2020 in 84 patients. Statistical analysis was performed using the Cox regression method, Kaplan-Meier curves, and the log-rank test. Results: Five years after diagnosis, overall survival was 75.79 %, lower in male patients (62.15%; p=0.001); there was presence of high-risk cytogenetic and molecular biomarkers (25.09%; p=0.000) and unfavorable morphological response in peripheral blood at day 8 (50.17 %; p=0.022), 33 (12.2%; p=0.000) and with relapse (37.71%; p=0.000). The presence of high-risk biomarkers increased the relative risk (RR) of death by 5.655 times at five years after diagnosis (95% CI: 1.937-16.509; p=0.002). Hypodiploidy showed a negative effect, with a RR of 6.671 at five years (95% CI: 1.557–28.593; p = 0.011). Relapse increased the risk of mortality sixfold at five years (RR = 5.997, 95 % CI: 2.632–13.662; p = 0.000). Conclusions: Male sex, high-risk cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities, morphological response at day 8 and 33 of induction therapy, and relapse are the factors associated with mortality in this study.

Introduction: Contextualized care for syphilis in penitentiary institutions is differentiated care for inmates taking into account the existence of specific conditions in these places that differentiate them from the normal population. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a strategy for the contextualized care of syphilis in the prison population. Material and Methods: An intervention study was conducted to contextualize the care for prisoners with syphilis. The study was divided into two periods: the first for clinical-epidemiological characterization, extended from January 2016 to December 2020, and the second for the evaluation of the strategy covered from January 2021 to December 2022. Statistical processing used the test for comparison of incidence rates, homogeneity, and comparison of proportions in independent samples. Results: After implementation of the strategy, there was a 55℅ reduction in the cumulative incidence rate (10.5 to 4.99∕1000 exposed). Those under 40 years of age, average school level, form of latent syphilis, and severe prison regime prevailed. The contribution of contacts increased by 80℅, the annual average of patients receiving family care decreased. The multi-recidivists prevailed in the first period with an annual average of 30 patients, unlike the second when the primary ones predominated, averaging 15 patients per year. Conclusions: With the implementation of the strategy, the care of this population affected by this disease was improved.

Introduction: Marked discrimination against people affected by respiratory infections persists due to the myths that have been developed in society following the pandemic itself. In this context, the attitudes generated by the nursing care for patients with SARS, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, warrant further study.Objective: To explore nursing students' conceptions and attitudes associated with stigma in the care of people with SARS.Material and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted. The sample was selected from a population of 239 nursing students in their last two academic terms (cycles) at two Health Sciences faculties.Results: For the stigma scale developed, the most representative scores were found for questions 10, 6, and 1, in decreasing order. Item 10 is associated with the risk of infection (61.3%), while items 6 (55.8%) and 1 (52.3%) relate to the individualized treatment that would be provided to people with SARS. Regarding the scale with a directionality from positive attitudes towards "strongly disagree," item P5 is the one with the highest mean score ("I would not care for a person with SARS").Conclusions: The results obtained imply that it is necessary to incorporate content related to managing the stigma of patients suffering from this type of infection into the nursing curriculum.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent malignancies in men worldwide and represents a significant public health problem. The identification of predictive factors is crucial to improve its prevention and early detection. Objective: This study analyzes modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in an Ecuadorian population. Material and method: An observational study was conducted in patients treated in the Urology service of Hospital XXX during the XXX period. Risk variables classified into two groups were analyzed: non-modifiable (age, ethnicity and family history) and modifiable (previous prostate diseases, sexually transmitted infections, obesity, smoking and alcoholism). A univariate and bivariate statistical analysis with binary logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between risk factors and the presence of PCa. Results: Main predictive factors identified were advanced age, family history of PCa, and previous prostate diseases. Men older than 65 years and those with a family history were found to have a significantly higher risk of developing the disease. Likewise, the presence of previous prostate diseases showed the greatest association with the onset of PCa. Conclusions: Age, elevated PSA, and family history are key determinants in the assessment of PCa risk in the Ecuadorian population. The inclusion of predictive models that combine clinical biomarkers and epidemiological factors could improve diagnostic accuracy and optimize prevention strategies.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the Mexican population. Indigenous peoples face structural conditions of poverty, marginalization, and limited access to health services, which could increase their vulnerability to the disease. Objective: To evaluate COVID-19 lethality in the indigenous population in Mexico, estimating their relative risk and comparing it with other risk factors associated with the disease. Material and Methods: An official database containing 900,934 confirmed cases was utilized. A mixed logistic regression model was applied to estimate the probability of death, considering comorbidities and indigenous group affiliation as covariates. Results: A higher risk of death from COVID-19 was found for individuals belonging to an indigenous group in Mexico; the relative risk was 1,19 for 20-year-olds, decreasing with age to 1,16 for 80-year-olds. Comorbidities with elevated relative risks such as pneumonia, chronic kidney disease, and immunosuppression were also identified.   Conclusions: Belonging to an indigenous group presents a higher lethality rate, thus constituting a significant risk factor, almost as relevant as the comorbidities that have been detected for COVID-19. This finding highlights the need for the creation of new support programs and specific public policies to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on indigenous populations.

Introduction: Decisions at the end of life are a topic of eternal relevance in acute care units. Objective: To describe aspects considered in decision-making at the end of life in the Intensive Care Unit. Material y Methods: A descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective study was carried out in the Intensive Care Unit of the Arnaldo Milián Castro Hospital. A population of 1 599 patients treated in the 2019-2021 triennium was studied; 444 of them died, and at least one decision was made at the end of life in 25 cases. Documentary analysis of medical records and descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. Results: In 2019, there were fewer deaths (104), where the decision option at the end of life prevailed (1.93 %) with a predominance of no resuscitation. Females prevailed in 2020 and the highest average age was observed in 2021 (71.8 years). There was a negative trend in the averages of length of stay, decision making and death. The main causes were multiple organ failure (62.50 %) alone or combined with bronchopneumonia and septic shock. Conclusions: Few end-of-life decisions are made in our setting, with do not resuscitate order (DNR) being the most frequently made decision. Multiple organ failure (MOF) is the main cause.