Universidad Técnica de Manabí

Current experiences at a global level are an inspiration for research in the academic field. There is much to learn, and society must carefully reflect on the moments lived in two years that for many have meant two centuries. Many difficulties remain to be resolved and a wide field to discover the unknown by medicine. With the difficulties that have arisen on a global scale because of COVID-19, health has been affected at the societal level; In addition to the consequences derived from the effects of the virus, the mental health of people was impacted with high repercussions at the social and family level, as well as the teaching processes at the different levels of education where many students abandoned their studies.

The nurse has an important role caring for the patient infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID- 19). It is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus can spread from the mouth or nose of an infected person in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing, or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. It is important to practice respiratory etiquette, for example coughing into a flexed elbow, and to stay home and self-isolate until you recover if you feel unwell. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and will recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and people with underlying medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illnesses. The goal of the research is to propose the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the disease and how the virus spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by staying at least 1 meter away from others, wearing a well-fitting mask, and washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently.

Some reflections will be presented on diabetes mellitus, which is a very common chronic disease in daily life due to different causes where diet and sedentary lifestyle directly influence. Considering these analyzes, the proposal of this work is to ensure that readers are able to know, interpret, disseminate and in many cases recommend preventive measures that help improve the physical and mental health of readers, and citizens, with this it would be achieved the best quality of life in society. The disease flourishes when the pancreas does not secrete enough insulin or when the body does not use the insulin it produces effectively. The effect of uncontrolled diabetes is hyperglycemia or high blood glucose). Over time, this disease seriously damages many organs of the human body, mainly the nervous system and blood vessels. They achieve a healthy body and mind at the present time that humanity is engaged in eradicating the viruses that have affected the world population, which would provide a healthy development for humanity.

Humanity has been on its way accompanied by epidemics, as man has evolved, he has faced different problems that have affected most of society. In the last 50 years, more viruses have appeared that have affected different regions and multiple countries; but one of the most distributed worldwide is COVID-19. The objective is to offer some information related to this pandemic and its evolution in different countries. The bibliographic review method was used even though some bibliographies are very recent, but it has allowed us to know their behavior and follow-up. The results of the countries most affected by this pandemic are shown, where it could be said that Italy has increasingly affected all of them and some countries in Asia, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean have been the most affected.

Detection of plastic debris degrading into micro particles across all oceanic environments and inside of marine organisms is no longer surprising news. Microplastic contamination now appears as one of the world's environmental main concerns. To determine the levels of microplastic pollution at sea, water samples were collected across a 4000 km-trajectory in the Tropical Eastern Pacific and the Galápagos archipelago, covering an area of 453,000 square kilometres. Furthermore, 240 specimens of 16 different species of fish, squid, and shrimp, all of human consumption, were collected along the continental coast. Microplastic particles were found in 100% of the water samples and marine organisms. Microplastic particles ranging from 150 to 500 µm in size were the most predominant. This is one of the first reports simultaneously detecting and quantifying microplastic particles abundance and their impact on marine organisms of this region.

Drinking water sources are increasingly subject to various types of contamination due to anthropogenic factors and require proper treatment to remove disease-causing agents. Public drinking water systems use different treatment methods to provide safe and quality drinking water to populations. However, they are ineffective in removing contaminants that are considered a danger to the environment and therefore to humans. Several alternative treatment processes have been proposed, such as membrane filtration, as final purification methods. This paper aims to summarize the type of pollutant compounds, filtration processes, and membranes that have been most studied in this area with particular emphasis on how the modification of membranes, either the manufacturing process or the incorporation of nanomaterials, influences their performance.

This article reviews current research on domestic violence by women and attempts to answer two questions: (a) Are women who assault their heterosexual partners different from male batterers? If so, (b) how are they different from male batterers? Pertinent studies have been categorized as research promoting gender symmetry of intimate abuse, research claiming women's violence toward abusive male partners as self-defense and/or retaliatory action, and research focusing on multiple corollaries of women's violence. The ecological nested model is recommended for research, so the full context is taken into account to understand women's use of violence.

A steep rise in global plastic production and significant discharge of plastic waste are expected in the near future. Plastics pose a threat to the ecosystem and human health through the generation of particulate plastics that act as carriers for other emerging contaminants, and the release of toxic chemical additives. Since plastic additives are not covalently bound, they can freely leach into the environment. Due to their occurrence in various environmental settings, the additives exert significant ecotoxicity. However, only 25% of plastic additives have been characterized for their potential ecological concern. Despite global market statistics highlighting the substantial environmental burden caused by the unrestricted production and use of plastic additives, information on their ecotoxicity remains incomplete. By focusing on the ecological impacts of plastic additives, the present review aims to provide detailed insights into the following aspects: (i) diversity and occurrence in the environment, (ii) leaching from plastic materials, (iii) trophic transfer, (iv) human exposure, (v) risks to ecosystem and human health, and (vi) legal guidelines and mitigation strategies. These insights are of immense value in restricting the use of toxic additives, searching for eco-friendly alternatives, and establishing or revising guidelines on plastic additives by global health and environmental agencies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, high consumption of antivirals, antibiotics, antiparasitics, antiprotozoals, and glucocorticoids used in the treatment of this virus has been reported. Conventional treatment systems fail to efficiently remove these contaminants from water, becoming an emerging concern from the environmental field. Therefore, the objective of the present work is to address the current state of the literature on the presence and removal processes of these drugs from water bodies. It was found that the concentration of most of the drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 increased during the pandemic in water bodies. Before the pandemic, Azithromycin concentrations in surface waters were reported to be in the order of 4.3 ng L−1, and during the pandemic, they increased up to 935 ng L−1. Laboratory scale studies conclude that adsorption and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can be effective in the removal of these drugs. Up to more than 80% removal of Azithromycin, Chloroquine, Ivermectin, and Dexamethasone in aqueous solutions have been reported using these processes. Pilot-scale tests achieved 100% removal of Azithromycin from hospital wastewater by adsorption with powdered activated carbon. At full scale, treatment plants supplemented with ozonation and artificial wetlands removed all Favipiravir and Azithromycin, respectively. It should be noted that hybrid technologies can improve removal rates, process kinetics, and treatment cost. Consequently, the development of new materials that can act synergistically in technically and economically sustainable treatments is required.

Microalgae are a source of scientific curiosity and inspiration for their utilization as ‘inoculants’ in agriculture and the commercial production of high-value products.

the main objective of this article is to check whether the relationship between corporate social responsibility activities and employee commitment is mediated by the existence of two other attitudinal variables of workers: intrinsic motivation and trust towards the organisation. a survey of 318 Ecuadorian workers provides data that allows the application of structural equation modelling to verify the existence of such relationships. the work shows a positive and significant relationship between CSR actions and the two attitudes of the employees considered: trust and intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, the mediating character that both variables play in the relationship between CSR and organisational commitment is confirmed. Ecuadorian managers can infer from this study the positive effects that CSR practices have on various attitudes and behaviors of employees, such as their motivation at work, their confidence in the company and their commitment to it. the scant generalisation of its results to the Ecuadorian reality given that the firms are located in a single zone of the country and belong to a specific activity. new determinant factors of the relations between the endogenous and exogenous variables could be included. the consideration of other variables which could condition the relations studies: sex, age, etc. the work increases the already existing knowledge about the relationship between CSR and different attitudes and behaviours of employees within formal work organisations.

La incertidumbre, el miedo y restricciones relacionadas con la pandemia de COVID-19 causada por el virus SARS-CoV-2 han representado desafíos particulares, especialmente por las medidas de emergencia sanitaria de cuarentena, confinamiento y distanciamiento social, entre otras. El presente artículo de revisión, realizado a través de la búsqueda sistemática de bibliografía publicada en los últimos ocho años y en su mayoría de este mismo año, en revistas indexadas en bases de datos científicas y páginas oficiales de información, utilizando palabras clave como afrontamiento, COVID-19, salud mental, estrés, miedo, ansiedad y depresión. Esta búsqueda permitió seleccionar 34 artículos cuya información es analizada y presentada con el objetivo de aportar al conocimiento sobre como la pandemia ha afectado la salud mental y emocional, así como en las estrategias de afrontamiento ante la misma, y que consecuentemente podrían ayudar a mitigar sus efectos y secuelas. Los efectos sobre la salud mental cuando se hacen excesivos, pueden tener consecuencias perjudiciales tanto a nivel individual, como a nivel social. Sin embargo, estas medidas han evidenciado ser necesarias para reducir la propagación del COVID-19. Lidiar con el estrés, el miedo, la ansiedad o la depresión de manera positiva es una necesidad actual y aprender y aplicarlas, fortalecerá a cada uno como individuos, a los grupos familiares y a la comunidad. Abstract The uncertainty, fear and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus have presented particular challenges, especially due to the sanitary quarantine, confinement and social distancing measures, among others. This review article, carried out through the systematic search of articles published in the last eight years and mostly this year, in indexed journals of scientific databases and official information pages, using keywords such as coping, COVID-19, mental health, stress, fear, anxiety and depression. This search allowed selecting 34 articles whose information is analyzed and presented in order to contribute to the knowledge on how the pandemic has affected mental and emotional health, as well as the coping strategies that consequently could help to mitigate their effects and sequels. The effects on mental health when made excessive, can have detrimental consequences both individually and socially. However, these measures have shown to be necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Dealing with stress, fear, anxiety or depression in a positive way is a current need and learning and applying them will strengthen everyone as individuals, family groups and the community.

, (i) PFAS, (ii) micro/nanoplastics, (iii) additives (biphenyls, phthalates), (iv) novel flame retardants, and (v) nanoparticles. The emphasis is on (a) degree of soil burden of CECs and the consequences, (b) endocrine disruption and immunotoxicity, (c) genotoxicity and carcinogenicity, and (d) soil health guidelines.

Tissue engineering is growing in developing new technologies focused on providing effective solutions to degenerative pathologies that affect different types of connective tissues. The search for biocompatible, bioactive, biodegradable, and multifunctional materials has grown significantly in recent years. Chitosan, calcium phosphates collagen, and their combination as composite materials fulfill the required properties and could result in biostimulation for tissue regeneration. In the present work, the chitosan/collagen/hydroxyapatite membranes were prepared with different concentrations of collagen and hydroxyapatite. Cell adhesion was evaluated by MTS assay for two in vitro models. Additionally, cytotoxicity of the different membranes employing hemolysis of erythrocytes isolated from human blood was carried out. The structure of the membranes was analyzed by X-rays diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal stability properties by thermogravimetric methods (TGA). The highest cell adhesion after 48 h was obtained for chitosan membranes with the highest hydroxyapatite and collagen content. All composite membranes showed good cell adhesion and low cytotoxicity, suggesting that these materials have a significant potential to be used as biomaterials for tissue engineering. Graphical abstract.

Heavy metal contamination in the atmosphere poses substantial threats to ecosystems. Traditional methods for the removal of HM-contaminated sites, such as physical and chemical treatments, often have limitations in terms of efficiency, cost, and potential negative impacts on the environment. As a result, there is growing interest in exploring alternative and sustainable approaches, such as bioremediation. Bioremediation is a promising technology that utilizes the inherent abilities of microorganisms to degrade or transform pollutants into less harmful forms. Microbial exopolysaccharides have gained attention as potential tools in bioremediation strategies due to their unique physicochemical properties and their ability to interact with heavy metals. This work aims to provide an overview of the role of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the bioremediation of HM-contaminated sites. First, the mechanisms by which EPS facilitates heavy metal sequestration are discussed. EPS can form metal-complexing agents, such as chelators and ion-binding sites, which enhance the immobilization and precipitation of heavy metals, reducing their bioavailability and toxicity. EPS can act as a protective barrier, shielding microorganisms from heavy metal stress and facilitating their survival and growth. Additionally, EPS production can be induced or enhanced in response to heavy metal exposure, potentially increasing the efficiency of bioremediation processes.

The current pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus infection is known as Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). This disease can be asymptomatic or can affect multiple organ systems. Damage induced by the virus is related to dysfunctional activity of the immune system, but the activity of molecules such as C-reactive protein (CRP) as a factor capable of inducing an inflammatory status that may be involved in the severe evolution of the disease, has not been extensively evaluated. A systematic review was performed using the NCBI-PubMed database to find articles related to Covid-19 immunity, inflammatory response, and CRP published from December 2019 to December 2020. High levels of CRP were found in patients with severe evolution of Covid-19 in which several organ systems were affected and in patients who died. CRP activates complement, induces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and induces apoptosis which, together with the inflammatory status during the disease, can lead to a severe outcome. Several drugs can decrease the level or block the effect of CRP and might be useful in the treatment of Covid-19. From this review it is reasonable to conclude that CRP is a factor that can contribute to severe evolution of Covid-19 and that the use of drugs able to lower CRP levels or block its activity should be evaluated in randomized controlled clinical trials.

The presence of nanoparticles in beverages has raised great concern in terms of potential impacts to consumer health. Herein, carbon dots in beverages kvass, pony malta, pilsner beer, Vivant Storm, and Profit were identified. They were shown to have a strong fluorescence under the excitation of ultraviolet light. The emission peaks shift to longer wavelengths accompanied by a remarkable fluorescence intensity decrease. The carbon dots are in the nanosized range and roughly spherical in appearance. Elemental analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated the composition of Kvass carbon dots to be C 83.17%, O 13.83%, and N 3.00%. No cytotoxicity was found at concentrations up to 20 mg/mL for human tongue squamous carcinoma cells, and they can be directly applied in both carcinoma and onion epidermal cell imaging. This work represents the first report of the carbon dots present in beverages, providing valuable insights into these nanoparticles for future biological imaging.

This study proposes the use of activated charcoal made from Umbaúba wood as an adsorbent for the removal of naphthenic acid in an aviation kerosene model mixture. The activated charcoal was characterised as mesoporous with a carbon graphite profile and presented pH pzc equal to 10.5. The best working conditions were obtained for activated charcoal levels of <0.09 mm and 300 r min −1 . The system reached the equilibrium after 360 min, without significant statistical difference for the pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The Weber–Morris and Boyd models corroborated the conclusion that adsorption is not controlled only by the intraparticle diffusion step. For the equilibrium study, the adsorptive capacity obtained was of 1.1 g g −1 , with the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller model better correlating with the experimental data. Given the results obtained, the activated charcoal demonstrated to have a remarkable potential for removing naphthenic acid in an aviation kerosene model mixture.

The natural Fly ash modified with calcium oxide has been employed to eliminate the crystal violet dyestuff from the simulated solution. Herein, the effect of different physicochemical factors like primary dye concentration, sorption contact time, the quantity of the adsorbent, temperature, along with initial simulated solution pH, evaluated for illustrating the mechanism of adsorption. Furthermore, the equilibrium study was conducted, and equilibrium models like Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin- Raduskevich (D-R) were fitted to obtain analytical results to endow with more insight into the process. The results acknowledged that the Langmuir model is well apt and suggests that the adsorption mechanism happens in a monolayer on the fly ash surface. Pseudo-first order, Pseudo-second order, and the intraparticle diffusion model evaluated, and the interpretation suggests the sorption method is obeying the Pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion model. The ascertained negative values of Gibbs free energy affirmed the unconstrained process for all symbiotic associations, and the obtained data 78.70 kJ mol<sup>–1</sup> enthalpy values manifested that exothermic mechanism was governing the reaction. The above assessment confirms the application of Calcium oxide pre-treated fly ash as a cheap adsorbent to eliminate the crystal violet dyestuff from the simulated solution.

Summary Due to DNA heterozygosity and repeat content, assembly of non‐model plant genomes is challenging. Herein, we report a high‐quality genome reference of one of the oldest known domesticated species, fig ( Ficus carica L.), using Pacific Biosciences single‐molecule, real‐time sequencing. The fig genome is ~333 Mbp in size, of which 80% has been anchored to 13 chromosomes. Genome‐wide analysis of N 6 ‐methyladenine and N 4 ‐methylcytosine revealed high methylation levels in both genes and transposable elements, and a prevalence of methylated over non‐methylated genes. Furthermore, the characterization of N 6 ‐methyladenine sites led to the identification of ANHGA, a species‐specific motif, which is prevalent for both genes and transposable elements. Finally, exploiting the contiguity of the 13 pseudomolecules, we identified 13 putative centromeric regions. The high‐quality reference genome and the characterization of methylation profiles, provides an important resource for both fig breeding and for fundamental research into the relationship between epigenetic changes and phenotype, using fig as a model species.