La implementación de estrategias digitales en la educación ecuatoriana se enfrenta a desafíos y oportunidades significativas. La persistente brecha digital entre diferentes estratos socio-culturales requiere una atención prioritaria para garantizar la equidad en el acceso y desarrollo de competencias digitales. La formación docente emerge como un pilar fundamental, capacitando a educadores para integrar de manera efectiva la tecnología en el aula y guiar a los estudiantes hacia la competencia digital. La inclusión y equidad en la educación digital se posicionan como objetivos cruciales, empoderando a todos los estudiantes para participar plenamente en la sociedad digital actual y futura. La competencia digital no se limita al manejo de herramientas tecnológicas, sino que también implica habilidades críticas como el pensamiento analítico y la evaluación de la información en línea. La tecnología, en armonía con enfoques pedagógicos innovadores, facilita experiencias de aprendizaje significativas y contextualizadas. La promoción de la ciudadanía digital responsable se vuelve esencial, enseñando a los estudiantes sobre la ética en línea y la seguridad digital. En conjunto, abordar estos aspectos de manera integral promueve un sistema educativo que prepara a los estudiantes para triunfar en la era digital actual y venidera.

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the variability of essential oils (EOs) extracted from the culinary plant Plectranthus amboinicus in different locations, in order to determine their optimal utilization. The EO was extracted from fresh leaves by steam distillation at three locations in the south of Ecuador: Paccha (PAC), El Guabo (GUA), and Arenillas (ARE). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and flame ionization detection (GC-FID). A total of 41 compounds were identified in Paccha (97.37%), 38 compounds in Arenillas (97.43%), and 41 compounds in El Guabo (98.31%). The most abundant compounds identified were germacrene D (17.60%, 14.59%, and 12.85%), alfa humulene (10.88%, 4.65%, and 5.08%), alfa-terpinene (10.66%, 13.85%, and 6.79%), and carvacrol (5.11%, 5.97%, and 9.13%), in PAC, ARE, and GUA, respectively. In addition, the antioxidant activity was evaluated by ABTS and DPPH assays, as well as the total phenol content of the EOs. Finally, a principal compound analysis (PCA) was performed in order to evaluate the variation in compounds using the geographical location of the samples as a variable.

In this study, adsorbent materials prepared from common wastes generated in agricultural industries were evaluated, particularly the adsorption capacity for hydrocarbon compounds. Wastes from banana, cocoa, and rice were collected, and subsequently dried, milled, and chemically treated with NaOH. The physical properties of the treated wastes were assessed, including buoyancy and apparent density, and their adsorption capacity was tested under dynamic and static conditions. The results were subjected to an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The dynamic adsorption tests carried out indicated that the treated waste from banana leaves with a particle size of 1400 µm exhibited a buoyancy percentage above 90 % in the hydrophilic phase, while hydrocarbon compounds were adsorbed in the oleophilic phase. However, traces of hydrocarbons were still visible in the aqueous medium. In the short-term static adsorption tests, the waste materials showed adsorption capacity values ranging from 2.17 to 8.22 g oil/g adsorbent for motor oil; the highest adsorption index was determined in wastes from banana rachis with an 850 µm particle size. Moreover, in the adsorption of diesel and gasoline, the wastes from banana rachis with an 850 µm particle size showed the highest adsorption capacity for diesel (6.61 g diesel/g adsorbent) and gasoline (6.26 g gasoline/g adsorbent). This behavior was also observed in the long-term tests for all wastes tested, except for banana rachis, as some of the adsorbent material subsided, leading to the adsorption of both water and hydrocarbon compounds.

El paradigma educativo contemporáneo, enfocado en resultados medibles, ha descuidado aspectos emocionales y sociales, impactando el bienestar y desarrollo a largo plazo de los estudiantes. La humanización de la educación se presenta como una necesidad urgente. La integración de técnicas socioemocionales y la promoción de la empatía son cruciales para un desarrollo estudiantil integral. La obsesión por el rendimiento académico ha provocado problemas de salud mental, subrayando la importancia de repensar las prioridades educativas. La investigación, llevada a cabo en una universidad de Quito, encuestó a estudiantes y docentes de Psicología y Educación, explorando la integración de prácticas socioemocionales. Este estudio aboga por la implementación efectiva de estas estrategias en entornos educativos superiores, destacando el papel crucial de la educación en cultivar individuos equilibrados y empáticos para construir comunidades inclusivas y solidarias.

Dysphania ambrosioides is a widely distributed species with a traditional use in folk medicine, but it exhibits marked chemical variability that limits its standardization. This study is the first to characterize the essential oil (EO) of three Ecuadorian populations—Arenillas (ARE), Pasaje (PAS) and Piñas (PIN)—using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry/flame ionization detection (GC-MS/FID), and to correlate its composition with edaphic properties and antioxidant activity. Chemical profiles revealed three distinct chemotypes: ARE (α-terpinene 65.35%, o-cymene 24.83% and ascaridole 3.30%), PAS (α-terpinene 56.31%, o-cymene 10.09% and ascaridole 10.84%) and PIN (α-terpinene 56.89%, o-cymene 17.07% and ascaridole 7.60%). The EO yield was low (0.030–0.064% w/w), coinciding with acidic and nutrient-poor soils. On the other hand, PAS, with its neutral soil and high nitrogen, produced the highest number of oxygenated compounds. Only PAS exhibited strong ABTS radical-scavenging activity (SC₅₀ = 37.99 ± 1.01 µg/mL). In contrast, ARE showed weak activity (SC₅₀ = 424 ± 1.01 µg/mL), while PIN showed moderate activity (SC₅₀ = 112.26 ± 1.01 µg/mL), which was correlated with its high total phenol content (298.48 mg EAG/L). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity was low in all samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed clear separation of the chemotypes, which was linked to edaphic factors such as pH, heavy metals (Cu, Fe and Mn) and organic matter. These findings suggest that edaphic conditions may modulate the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of D. ambrosioides, indicating a potential approach for the sustainable selection of plant material.

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la adición de peróxido de hidrógeno (H2O2) como agente oxidante en la lixiviación cianurada para mejorar la recuperación de oro. Se realizaron tres pruebas adicionando progresivamente tres volúmenes diferentes de H2O2 al 50 % (60 mL, 75 mL y 90 mL) durante las 12 horas de proceso y tres volúmenes de cianuro de sodio (NaCN) (198, 188 y 158 mL). Para el control, se adicionó 198 mL de NaCN (10 %). Se pudo observar que, al incrementar progresivamente la adición de H2O2 en un 25 %, disminuía el consumo de NaCN y se incrementaban los contenidos de oro (Au) total. Los consumos de NaCN en el control fueron de 256 y disminuyó en P1: 198, P2: 188 y P3: 158 mL/h. La recuperación de Au se realizó utilizando carbón activado para la adsorción del metal. En el control, se obtuvieron 1,82 g/m3, prueba 1: 1,86, prueba 2: 2,05 y prueba 3: 2,75 g/m3. En conclusión, la adición de H2O2 favorece la disminución del consumo de NaCN en el proceso e incrementa en un 51 % los porcentajes de recuperación de Au con respecto al control.