Efectos de la aplicación de agua activada electroquímicamente en un cultivo de tomate (Lycoperesicon esculentum) bajo invernadero

El tomate es una fruta nativa de América, en el siglo XVI las semillas fueron llevadas a Europa y favorablemente aceptadas en los países mediterráneos y con el tiempo se ha incorporado en la dieta mundial. Conociendo de antemano que nuestro país posee una diversidad de regiones aptas para el cultivo hortícola, en general, y del tomate, en particular, se sabe que su producción, en determinadas épocas del año, no llega a abastecer la demanda interna del producto, obligando a adquirir bienes semielaborados en el mercado externo. A pesar del incremento de la superficie cultivable, su producción se ha visto disminuida especialmente por el ataque de patógenos que impide el desarrollo normal de la planta (Zárate, 2008). Uno de los métodos que más se utilizan para contrarrestar estos males es el uso de agroquímicos. Estos productos representan un papel muy importante en la reducción de los daños económicos en los cultivos. Sin embargo, los microorganismos causantes de enfermedades fitopatógenas, en muchos casos, generan resistencia y consecuentemente se incrementan las dosis de los agroquímicos. La toxicidad elevada de algunos de ellos, su persistencia en el medio y su mal uso, han llevado a un replanteamiento de las estrategias del control de plagas. Por ello, actualmente se desarrollan nuevos agentes para este fin, como es el uso de productos de control biológico y sustancias químicas que combinan su poder biocida y la inocuidad para con el entorno y la población. En años recientes, fue introducida en procesos de desinfección médica e industrial la solución llamada agua potencialmente oxidativa (APO) o agua activada electroquímicamente (ECA). Esta solución de naturaleza electrolítica como consecuencia de las reacciones que se generan en el proceso, se produce una mezcla de productos oxidantes como son cloro, óxidos de cloro, peróxidos de hidrogeno, oxígeno, ozono y radicales, presentando características importantes: un pH 2.3-2.7, un potencial óxido reducción (REDOX) mayor a 1.100 mV (Gaitán y González,2009). Se han realizado varias investigaciones sobre la eficiencia de desinfección, en aguas naturales alcanzando resultados positivos para destruir las bacterias presentes, utilizando ECA, en concentraciones de 0.75%, dando como resultado un 6% de las bacterias presentes en relación al número inicial, mientras que al utilizar una concentración del 1% da lugar a una eliminación total de bacterias (Donatoni,2007)

Investigación, ciencia y tecnología. Tomo 1

Esta obra contiene los resultados y memorias de las investigaciones de la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, correspondientes a los años 2009-2010 en el área de Ciencias Sociales Humanas y de la Tecnología

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P < 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially