Parallel Ictal-Net, a Parallel CNN Architecture with Efficient Channel Attention for Seizure Detection.

Around 70 million people worldwide are affected by epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by non-induced seizures that occur at irregular and unpredictable intervals. During an epileptic seizure, transient symptoms emerge as a result of extreme abnormal neural activity. Epilepsy imposes limitations on individuals and has a significant impact on the lives of their families. Therefore, the development of reliable diagnostic tools for the early detection of this condition is considered beneficial to alleviate the social and emotional distress experienced by patients. While the Bonn University dataset contains five collections of EEG data, not many studies specifically focus on subsets D and E. These subsets correspond to EEG recordings from the epileptogenic zone during ictal and interictal events. In this work, the parallel ictal-net (PIN) neural network architecture is introduced, which utilizes scalograms obtained through a continuous wavelet transform to achieve the high-accuracy classification of EEG signals into ictal or interictal states. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed PIN model in distinguishing between ictal and interictal events with a high degree of confidence. This is validated by the computing accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores, all of which consistently achieve around 99% confidence, surpassing previous approaches in the related literature.

Utility of Bronchoalveolar Lavage for the Diagnosis and Management of COVID-19 in Patients With Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on nasopharyngeal swab (NPS), remains the most reliable and practical test to diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Current literature is sparse regarding the rates of discordance between NPS and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in patients with cancer. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with cancer who had BAL samples tested for SARS-CoV-2 at a comprehensive cancer center. Patients without NPS PCR for SARS-CoV-2 before BAL were excluded. RESULTS: In a cohort of 345 patients, 12% and 17% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on NPS and BAL, respectively. There was a 6.3% NPS-/BAL+ discordance rate and a 9.5% NPS+/BAL- discordance rate. Patients with lymphoma (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.06; P = .007) and Hispanic patients (aOR = 3.76; P = .009) were more likely to have NPS-/BAL+ discordance on multivariate analysis. Among patients with NPS- /BAL- for SARS-CoV-2, an alternate infectious (23%) and a noninfectious etiology (16%) were identified in BAL. CONCLUSIONS: Our discordance rates between NPS and BAL were sufficient to recommend BAL in certain patients with cancer with a high clinical suspicion of COVID-19. BAL has value in identifying alternative etiologies of illness in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Long COVID in cancer patients: preponderance of symptoms in majority of patients over long time period.

Background: An increasing number of observational studies have reported the persistence of symptoms following recovery from acute COVID-19 disease in non-cancer patients. The long-term consequences of COVID-19 are not fully understood particularly in the cancer patient population. The purpose of this study is to assess post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) in cancer patients following acute COVID-19 recovery. Methods: We identified cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center who were diagnosed with COVID-19 disease between March 1, 2020, and September 1, 2020, and followed them till May 2021. To assess PASC, we collected patients reported outcomes through questionnaires that were sent to patients daily for 14 days after COVID-19 diagnosis then weekly for 3 months, and then monthly thereafter. We also reviewed patients' electronic medical records to capture the persistence or emergence of new COVID19-related symptoms reported during any clinic or hospital encounter beyond 30 days of the acute illness and up to 14 months. Results: We included 312 cancer patients with a median age of 57 years (18-86). The majority of patients had solid tumors (75%). Of the 312 patients, 188 (60%) reported long COVID-19 symptoms with a median duration of 7 months and up to 14 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. The most common symptoms reported included fatigue (82%), sleep disturbances (78%), myalgias (67%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (61%), followed by headache, altered smell or taste, dyspnea (47%), and cough (46%). A higher number of females reported a persistence of symptoms compared to males (63% vs. 37%; p=0.036). Cancer type, neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, and hospital admission during acute COVID-19 disease were comparable in both groups. Among the 188 patients with PASC, only 16 (8.5%) were re-admitted for COVID-related reasons. Conclusions: More than one out of two cancer patients, and more likely females, report PASC that may persist beyond 6 months and even 1 year. The most common symptoms are non-respiratory and consist of fatigue, sleep disturbance, myalgia, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Most of the cancer patients with PASC were managed on outpatient basis with only 8.5% requiring a COVID-19-related re-admission. Funding: This research is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute under award number P30CA016672, which supports the MD Anderson Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office. The funders had no role in study design, data collection, and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

International multicenter study comparing COVID-19 in patients with cancer to patients without cancer: Impact of risk factors and treatment modalities on survivorship.

Background: In this international multicenter study, we aimed to determine the independent risk factors associated with increased 30 day mortality and the impact of cancer and novel treatment modalities in a large group of patients with and without cancer with COVID-19 from multiple countries. Methods: We retrospectively collected de-identified data on a cohort of patients with and without cancer diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and November 2020 from 16 international centers. Results: We analyzed 3966 COVID-19 confirmed patients, 1115 with cancer and 2851 without cancer patients. Patients with cancer were more likely to be pancytopenic and have a smoking history, pulmonary disorders, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and corticosteroid use in the preceding 2 wk (p≤0.01). In addition, they were more likely to present with higher inflammatory biomarkers (D-dimer, ferritin, and procalcitonin) but were less likely to present with clinical symptoms (p≤0.01). By country-adjusted multivariable logistic regression analyses, cancer was not found to be an independent risk factor for 30 day mortality (p=0.18), whereas lymphopenia was independently associated with increased mortality in all patients and in patients with cancer. Older age (≥65y) was the strongest predictor of 30 day mortality in all patients (OR = 4.47, p<0.0001). Remdesivir was the only therapeutic agent independently associated with decreased 30 day mortality (OR = 0.64, p=0.036). Among patients on low-flow oxygen at admission, patients who received remdesivir had a lower 30 day mortality rate than those who did not (5.9 vs 17.6%; p=0.03). Conclusions: Increased 30 day all-cause mortality from COVID-19 was not independently associated with cancer but was independently associated with lymphopenia often observed in hematolgic malignancy. Remdesivir, particularly in patients with cancer receiving low-flow oxygen, can reduce 30 day all-cause mortality. Funding: National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health.

Sustainability and circularity in fruit and vegetable production. Perceptions and practices of reduction and valorization of agricultural waste biomass in south-eastern Spain.

This study aims to conduct an exploratory and comparative analysis between Fruit and Vegetable Producer Organizations (FVPOs) and fruit and vegetable producers that are not part of these organizations (Non-FVPOs) regarding the prioritization, perception, and adoption of sustainable and circular practices. For this purpose, data was collected from both groups through an online survey. Statistical techniques for the comparison of two independent groups (chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test) were used to examine the differences on a sample of 14 FVPOs and 22 Non-FVPOs from Spain. Although the results show more similarities than differences between the two groups, they highlight that FVPOs are more likely to prioritize environmental factors and implement both green manuring and biodegradable raffia as the main Agricultural Waste Biomass (AWB) reduction and/or valorization practices. In addition, the findings point to the relevance of environmental considerations and specifically to the Sustainable and Circular Production Models (SCPMs) as an alternative to the traditional fruit and vegetable production system. Theoretically, the results mainly contradict resource and first mover advantage arguments by revealing that more resourceful organizations do not necessarily possess better environmental management. This study also provides innovative information and relevant contributions for governments. It allows them to identify aspects that should be strengthened in relation to policies, regulatory frameworks, and/or strategies that promote sustainable and circular production systems for both FVPOs and Non-FVPOs. In addition, it contributes with implications, for organizations and farmers, how to improve actions and opportunities to advance the transition to SCPMs.

Broken Rotor Bar Detection in Induction Motors through Contrast Estimation.

Induction motors (IM) are key components of any industrial process; hence, it is important to carry out continuous monitoring to detect incipient faults in them in order to avoid interruptions on production lines. Broken rotor bars (BRBs), which are among the most regular and most complex to detect faults, have attracted the attention of many researchers, who are searching for reliable methods to recognize this condition with high certainty. Most proposed techniques in the literature are applied during the IM startup transient, making it necessary to develop more efficient fault detection techniques able to carry out fault identification during the IM steady state. In this work, a novel methodology based on motor current signal analysis and contrast estimation is introduced for BRB detection. It is worth noting that contrast has mainly been used in image processing for analyzing texture, and, to the best of the authors' knowledge, it has never been used for diagnosing the operative condition of an induction motor. Experimental results from applying the approach put forward validate Unser and Tamura contrast definitions as useful indicators for identifying and classifying an IM operational condition as healthy, one broken bar (1BB), or two broken bars (2BB), with high certainty during its steady state.

Foreign market selection process as tool for international expansion: Case study for ecuadorian chia seeds exports to the european union.

To assist Ecuadorian chia seed producers in their quest for internationalisation. This article uses a case study to present a methodology which assists in the selection of the most suitable export market for a product. It is based on a diverse range of indicators grouped into 7 dimensions that were used to analyse the 27 member countries of the European Union in order to determine the most suitable export market for chia seeds from Ecuador. Germany is the biggest European importer of chia seeds with a 55% share, followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain. It presents a methodology for market selection that can be employed as a tool for international expansion which can easily be used by companies in search of the most suitable export market for their products.

A Fast Image Dehazing Algorithm Using Morphological Reconstruction.

Outdoor images are used in a vast number of applications, such as surveillance, remote sensing, and autonomous navigation. The greatest issue with these types of images is the effect of environmental pollution: haze, smog, and fog originating from suspended particles in the air, such as dust, carbon and water drops, which cause degradation to the image. The elimination of this type of degradation is essential for the input of computer vision systems. Most of the state-of-the-art research in dehazing algorithms is focused on improving the estimation of transmission maps, which are also known as depth maps. The transmission maps are relevant because they have a direct relation to the quality of the image restoration. In this paper, a novel restoration algorithm is proposed using a single image to reduce the environmental pollution effects, and it is based on the dark channel prior and the use of morphological reconstruction for the fast computing of transmission maps. The obtained experimental results are evaluated and compared qualitatively and quantitatively with other dehazing algorithms using the metrics of the Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Structural Similarity (SSIM) index; based on these metrics, it is found that the proposed algorithm has improved performance compared to recently introduced approaches.

Defectos de pared abdominal anterior fetal: manejo y protocolo de seguimiento prenatal de Gastroquisis y Onfalocele. Ecuador, 2019. / Abdominal anterior abdominal wall defects: management and prenatal protocol of Gastrochisis and Omphalocele. Ecuador, 2019

Los defectos de la pared abdominal son un grupo de malformaciones congénitas poco comunes que presentan alteraciones heterogéneas y comparten una característica en común, que es la herniación o evisceración de uno o más órganos de la cavidad abdominal, debido a un defecto en la formación de la pared abdominal. Existen diversas patologías entre las que se encuentran extrofia de vejiga y extrofia de cloaca y la Pentalogía de Cantrell, sin embargo, las más frecuentes son la gastrosquisis y el onfalocele; en esta revisión se discutirá el manejo y el protocolo de seguimiento de estas dos patologías.

Abdominal wall defects are a group of rare congenital malformations, which represent heterogeneous alterations and share an uncommon characteristic, which is the herniation or evisceration of one or more organs of the abdominal cavity, due to a defect in the formation of the abdominal wall. There are several pathologies among which are bladder exstrophy and cloacal exstrophy and the Pentalogy of Cantrell, however, the most frequent are gastroschisis and omphalocele. In this article we will review and discuss the management and follow-up protocol of these two pathologies

Determination of anterior pelvic index (API) to predict a narrow pelvis in adolescent girls / Determinación del índice de pelviano anterior (API) para predecir pelvis estrecha en adolescentes

Cephalopelvic disproportion in the pelvic inlet is a maternal risk factor in childbirth. A high number of dystocias are attended as emergencies and end in cesarean sections because there is no way to diagnose a narrow pelvis early on, a determination which would be easy to perform and at no cost to the patient. The aim of this study was to determine the Anterior Pelvic Index (API) as a predictive estimator of the obstetric conjugate diameter to differentiate narrow and normal pelvises. The study was conducted with 200 adolescent girls aged 14 to 19 years, from Quito, Ecuador; the parents signed the informed consent and the girls agreed to take part. The interspinous distance, height and obstetric conjugate diameter were measured by ultrasonography. Then the API was calculated and the predictive value of the obstetric conjugate diameter was obtained by simple linear regression. The average API value was 14.8 (CI 95 % 14.75 to 14.86) with a minimum value of 13.99 and a maximum value of 19.92. The association between the API and the obstetric conjugate diameter measured by ultrasonography produced a Pearson's correlation value of 0.543 (p=0.000). The simple linear regression test between the API and the obstetric conjugate diameter measured by ultrasonography was statistically significant. Therefore, it was determined that the prediction of the obstetric conjugate diameter, having the API as a predictor, can be calculated with the following formula:y=4.38+0.45*x and thus a possible narrow pelvis can be anticipated.

La desproporción feto-pélvica se puede producir en el estrecho superior de la pelvis, constituyéndose en un factor materno de riesgo en el parto. Un elevado número de partos distócicos son atendidos de emergencia y terminan en cesárea debido a que no existe un método de diagnóstico precoz de la estrechez pélvica, que sea fácil de realizar y sin costo para el paciente. El objetivo fue determinar el Índice Pelviano Anterior (API) como estimador predictivo del diámetro conjugado obstétrico para diferenciar pelvis estrechas y normales. El estudio fue realizado con 200 mujeres adolescentes de 14 a 19 años, de Quito, Ecuador, quienes cumplieron con la firma del consentimiento informado de los padres y el asentimiento de ellas. Se les midió la distancia interespinosa, la talla y el diámetro conjugado obstétrico ecográfico. Luego se calculó el Índice Pelviano Anterior y, mediante regresión lineal simple, se obtuvo el valor de predicción del diámetro conjugado obstétrico. El valor promedio del Índice Pelviano Anterior (API) fue de 14.8 (IC 95 % 14.75 a 14.86) con un valor mínimo de 13.99 y un valor máximo es de 19.92. La asociación entre el API y el diámetro conjugado obstétrico ecográfico produjo un valor de correlación de Pearson de 0.543 (p=0.000). La prueba de regresión lineal simple entre el PAI y el diámetro conjugado obstétrico ecográfico fue estadísticamente significativo. Por lo tanto, se determinó que la predicción del diámetro conjugado obstétrico, teniendo como predictor al PAI, se calculará con la siguiente fórmula : y=4.38+0.45*x y con ello se podrá pronosticar una eventual estrechez pélvica..

Análisis de conocimiento, actitudes y prácticas sobre aborto incompleto en una muestra de proveedores de salud en obstetricia de Ecuador / Analysis of knowledge, attitudes and practices about incomplete abortion in a sample of obstetrics health providers in Ecuador

Objetivos: analizar el nivel de conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas que tiene una muestra voluntaria de proveedores de salud en obstetricia asistentes al XXI Congreso Nacional de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Ecuador sobre muerte materna, leyes nacionales y tratamientos relacionados al aborto incompleto. Material y Métodos: Se realizó una intervención investigativa transversal...

Objectives: To examine the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices which has voluntary sample of health care providers at obstetrician tending the 21st National Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Ecuador on maternal death, national laws and treatment related to incomplete abortion. Material and Methods: a descriptive and analytical cross - sectional investigative intervention through suvery...

Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre aborto en una muestra de médicos gineco-obstetras de Ecuador / Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding abortion in a sample of obstetrician-gynecologists from Ecuador

Objetivos: Determinar el nivel de conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas en una muestra intencionada de médicos gineco-obstetras líderes provinciales de la Federación de Sociedades de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Ecuador (FESGO) sobre el aborto inducido. Diseño: Estudio transversal, correlacional, de corte prospectivo y analítico. Institución: Federación de Sociedades de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Ecuador (FESGO). Participantes: Médicos gineco-obstetras líderes provinciales de FESGO. Metodología: En una muestra intencionada de 33 médicos gineco-obstetras se aplicó una encuesta estructurada validada y basada en experiencias de la región, acerca de datos generales y sociodemográficos del encuestado, conocimientos teóricos sobre la epidemiología del aborto y la muerte materna, actitudes con relación del manejo del aborto inseguro, y la práctica de prescripción de misoprostol y tratamiento quirúrgico por aspiración. Principales medidas de resultados: Nivel de conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas. Resultados: La población encuestada tenía promedio de edad de 49 años, 16 años de práctica, con relación estable, hijos y religión declarada. Consideraron de alta prioridad la muerte materna por aborto, pues atendían pacientes públicas y privadas con intención de aborto inducido frecuente y uso de misoprostol previo. Consideraron la ampliación de motivos para aborto con la proyección de reducción de mortalidad, aunque los casos aumentaran. En su mayoría consideraron suficientes sus conocimientos de derechos reproductivos, se sentían solventes respecto a la consejería en misoprostol, aunque la satisfacción alta respecto a consejería de aborto inducido fue apenas en 51%. Conclusiones: Los líderes provinciales de esta muestra intencionada conocían la temática del aborto y su atención integral. Los conocimientos fueron altos, aunque las actitudes y prácticas resultaron diversas, con respuestas que sugieren mayor sensibilización y capacitación. Nuevos estudios necesitan ser realizados en una población más amplia de gineco-obstetras federados, así como intervenciones educativas y de sensibilización para mejorar la calidad de atención del aborto.

Objectives: To determine knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding abortion in an intentioned sample of obstetrician/gynecologists who are provincial leaders of the Federación de Sociedades de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Ecuador (FESGO). Design: Prospective, correlational, cross-sectional, and analytical survey. Setting: Federación de Sociedades de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Ecuador (FESGO). Participants: FESGO obstetrician/gynecologists provincial leaders. Methods: A structured and validated survey was applied to an intentional sample of 33 obstetrician/gynecologists. The survey was based on experiences in the region, general and demographic information of the respondent, theoretical knowledge about the epidemiology of abortion and maternal death, attitudes about the management of unsafe abortion, and practice on misoprostol prescription and surgical aspiration. Main outcome measures: Knowledge, attitude and practices. Results: The survey respondents were 49 years old average, had 16 years of medical practice, and stable family relations, with declared children and religion. They considered maternal death due to abortion of high priority be-cause they attended public and private patients with frequent history of induced abortion and use of misoprostol. They also considered the expansion of reasons for abortion in the light of a potential reduction in mortality, even if the number of cases increased. Most considered sufficient their knowledge on reproductive rights and felt proficient with respect to counseling on misoprostol, although high satisfaction on induced abortion counseling was just 51%. Conclusions: Provincial leaders of this sample knew about abortion and its comprehensive care. Knowledge was high, but attitude and practices were diverse and require more awareness and training. Further studies are needed in a b broader federated population of obstetrician/ gynecologists. Educational and sensitizing interventions are needed to improve the quality of abortion care.

Linfoma primario de células T del páncreas: presentación de un caso clínico / Primary T cell lymphoma of the pancreas: clinical case report

El Linfoma Primario de Páncreas es una enfermedad rara, representando el 1 % de todos los linfomas de presentación extranodal y el 0,5% de todas las masas pancreáticas. Menos de 150 casos han sido reportados en la literatura en ingles, los cuales son generalmente linfomas de células tipo B. Los linfomas de celulas T, representan aproximadamente el 4% de los linfomas primarios de pancreas y la supervivencia a los 5 años es del 0%. Reportamos el caso de una mujer de 28 años de edad que se presento a la emergencia con una colangitis aguda severa y una historia insidiosa de baja de peso e icteria obstructiva. La tomografía revelo una lesión tumoral heterogénea, difusa en cabeza de páncreas asi como dilatación leve del conducto pancreático, dilatación de vía biliar intra y extra-hepatica, no adenopatías retroperitoneales y sin infiltración hepática ni esplénica. Se realizo una autopsia dirigida y los estudios histopatologicos confirmaron un linfoma no Hodgkin de células T, CD3 + CD20-.

Primary pancreatic lymphomas (PPL) are rare tumors, comprising 1% of extra-nodal lymphomas and 0.5% of all pancreatic masses. Fewer than 150 cases have been reported worldwide, which most commonly are large B cell lymphomas. T cell lymphomas comprise 4% of all PPL and present a 5-year survival rate of 0%. We report the case of a 28 year-old peruvian woman who presented with a fatal acute cholangitis and a history of insidious weight loss and obstructive jaundice. The CT scan revaled a diffuse heterogeneus mass in the head of the pancreas along with a mildly dilated pancreatic duct and dilated intra and extra-hepatic bile ducts, no liver, splenic involvement, or retroperitoneal adenopathies were evident. An autopsy was performed and the histopathologic investigation confirmed a T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, CD3+ CD20-.

[Primary T cell lymphoma of the pancreas: clinical case report]. / Linfoma primario de células T del páncreas: presentación de un caso clínico.

Primary pancreatic lymphomas (PPL) are rare tumors, comprising 1% of extra-nodal lymphomas and 0.5% of all pancreatic masses. Fewer than 150 cases have been reported worldwide, which most commonly are large B cell lymphomas. T cell lymphomas comprise 4% of all PPL and present a 5-year survival rate of 0%. We report the case of a 28 year-old Peruvian woman who presented with a fatal acute cholangitis and a history of insidious weight loss and obstructive jaundice. The CT scan revaled a diffuse heterogeneus mass in the head of the pancreas along with a mildly dilated pancreatic duct and dilated intra and extra-hepatic bile ducts, no liver, splenic involvement, or retroperitoneal adenopathies were evident. An autopsy was performed and the histopathologic investigation confirmed a T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, CD3+ CD20-.

FPGA-based smart sensor for online displacement measurements using a heterodyne interferometer.

The measurement of small displacements on the nanometric scale demands metrological systems of high accuracy and precision. In this context, interferometer-based displacement measurements have become the main tools used for traceable dimensional metrology. The different industrial applications in which small displacement measurements are employed requires the use of online measurements, high speed processes, open architecture control systems, as well as good adaptability to specific process conditions. The main contribution of this work is the development of a smart sensor for large displacement measurement based on phase measurement which achieves high accuracy and resolution, designed to be used with a commercial heterodyne interferometer. The system is based on a low-cost Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) allowing the integration of several functions in a single portable device. This system is optimal for high speed applications where online measurement is needed and the reconfigurability feature allows the addition of different modules for error compensation, as might be required by a specific application.

A real-time smart sensor for high-resolution frequency estimation in power systems.

Power quality monitoring is a theme in vogue and accurate frequency measurement of the power line is a major issue. This problem is particularly relevant for power generating systems since the generated signal must comply with restrictive standards. The novelty of this work is the development of a smart sensor for real-time high-resolution frequency measurement in accordance with international standards for power quality monitoring. The proposed smart sensor utilizes commercially available current clamp, hall-effect sensor or resistor as primary sensor. The signal processing is carried out through the chirp z-transform. Simulations and experimental results show the efficiency of the proposed smart sensor.

Novel Oversampling Technique for Improving Signal-to-Quantization Noise Ratio on Accelerometer-Based Smart Jerk Sensors in CNC Applications.

Jerk monitoring, defined as the first derivative of acceleration, has become a major issue in computerized numeric controlled (CNC) machines. Several works highlight the necessity of measuring jerk in a reliable way for improving production processes. Nowadays, the computation of jerk is done by finite differences of the acceleration signal, computed at the Nyquist rate, which leads to low signal-to-quantization noise ratio (SQNR) during the estimation. The novelty of this work is the development of a smart sensor for jerk monitoring from a standard accelerometer, which has improved SQNR. The proposal is based on oversampling techniques that give a better estimation of jerk than that produced by a Nyquist-rate differentiator. Simulations and experimental results are presented to show the overall methodology performance.

Un modelo de prevención primaria de las enfermedades de transmisión sexual y del VIH/sida en adolescentes / A model for the primary prevention of sexually transmited disease and HIV/AIDS among adolescents

Objetivos. Desarrollar, aplicar y evaluar un modelo educativo de prevención primaria de enfermedades de transmisión sexual (ETS) y síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida (sida) basdo en los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas (CAP) sexuales de los adolescentes y en sus percepciones y conductas al respecto, con el objetivo final de contribuir al desarrollo de herramientas educativas y conductas al respecto, con el objetivo final de contribuir al desarrollo de herramientas educativas de prevención de las ETS y de la infección por virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). Métodos. Se aplico un modelo de prevención primaria de ETS y VIH/sida a escolares adolescentes (12 a 15 años) de Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Ecuador. Se formaron dos grupos con características similares:el grupo de intervención(grupoI,n=358)y el grupo de control(grupo C,n=288). Las escuelas se seleccionaron por criterios de inclusión, y los adolescentes de cada escuela, al azar. Se aplicó una guía de discusión a 16 grupos focales;con esta información se elaboró una encuesta sobre conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas (CAP) que después de su validación,fue aplicada a ambos grupos. En el grupo I se implementó un programa educativo de prevención diriguido a estudiantes y docentes. Ocho meses más tarde se aplicó una segunda encuesta CAP a los dos grupos. las diferencias en los CAP antes y después de la intervención fueron evaluadas utilizando la prueba de la X2. Resultados. no existieron diferencias significativas entre los dos grupos antes de la intervención, pero después de ella las diferencias fueron estadisticamentesignificativas (P=0,0012)se verificó un aumento de conocimiento sobre sexualidad y ETS/sida en el grupo I, aunque todavía no se ha evaluado la modificación de conductas a largo plazo. Conclusiones. Este estudio permitió validar un modelo multifactorial de prevención de ETS/sida adecuado a la realidad de los adolescentes, y sugiere la posibilidad de extrapolar la experiencia a escalas mayores en contextos similares a los de la población investigada

Un modelo de prevención primaria de las enfermedades de transmisión sexual y del VIH/sida en adolescentes / A model for the primary prevention of sexually transmited disease and HIV/AIDS among adolescents

Objetivos. Desarrollar, aplicar y evaluar un modelo educativo de prevención primaria de enfermedades de transmisión sexual (ETS) y síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida (sida) basdo en los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas (CAP) sexuales de los adolescentes y en sus percepciones y conductas al respecto, con el objetivo final de contribuir al desarrollo de herramientas educativas y conductas al respecto, con el objetivo final de contribuir al desarrollo de herramientas educativas de prevención de las ETS y de la infección por virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). Métodos. Se aplico un modelo de prevención primaria de ETS y VIH/sida a escolares adolescentes (12 a 15 años) de Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Ecuador. Se formaron dos grupos con características similares:el grupo de intervención(grupoI,n=358)y el grupo de control(grupo C,n=288). Las escuelas se seleccionaron por criterios de inclusión, y los adolescentes de cada escuela, al azar. Se aplicó una guía de discusión a 16 grupos focales;con esta información se elaboró una encuesta sobre conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas (CAP) que después de su validación,fue aplicada a ambos grupos. En el grupo I se implementó un programa educativo de prevención diriguido a estudiantes y docentes. Ocho meses más tarde se aplicó una segunda encuesta CAP a los dos grupos. las diferencias en los CAP antes y después de la intervención fueron evaluadas utilizando la prueba de la X2. Resultados. no existieron diferencias significativas entre los dos grupos antes de la intervención, pero después de ella las diferencias fueron estadisticamentesignificativas (P=0,0012)se verificó un aumento de conocimiento sobre sexualidad y ETS/sida en el grupo I, aunque todavía no se ha evaluado la modificación de conductas a largo plazo. Conclusiones. Este estudio permitió validar un modelo multifactorial de prevención de ETS/sida adecuado a la realidad de los adolescentes, y sugiere la posibilidad de extrapolar la experiencia a escalas mayores en contextos similares a los de la población investigada