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Nowadays, climate change is not the only threat facing our planet. There are also other types of pollution such as waste that poisons soils and water and kills plants, harming humans and animals. Sustainability represents a key issue for the actual Global Citizen. For this reason, our article is dedicated to offering biofriendly solutions to decrease wastes, give them a positive meaning, such as a substrate for an edible oyster fungus with nutritive and biological properties usefully for humans. Three types of wastes such as coconut coir, pine sawdust, and paper waste—representative symbols of pollution in Ecuador—have been tested as suitable growing substrate for the edible fungi Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) P. Kumm by analyzing parameters such as Biological Efficiency, Mushroom Yield, and Productive Rate. The influence of these "waste" substrates on the nutritive (protein content), biological characteristic (antioxidant activity), and the content of human-health-sustaining compounds (phenols, flavonoids) were also evaluated using the Kjeldahal, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and Folin–Ciocalteu methods. The results indicate that all the waste products represent desirable substrates for growing the edible fungi, with more focus on coconut coir waste (one of the principal pollution problems in Ecuador), but that also achieved the increase in the fungi's desirable characteristics. Coconut coir waste could be an environmentally friendly solution that also offers for humans additional nutritive and healthy benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that Ecuadorians are one of the largest groups of Hispanics living in New York, they have become a tight community that they now call little Ecuador. Although Ecuadorians living in the diaspora in NYC come from different parts of the country (mostly from the Andean region), they share the same cultural practices they performed in Ecuador that give them the sense of being in their country without bearing the instability and turmoil their country experiences. This shows how the group has fostered a sense of a multifaceted, multidimensional simultaneity between the host country and the motherland. The goal of this paper is to analyze the strategies Ecuadorian migrants use to validate their language and cultural practices to negotiate their identity as a group. Data for this paper come from ethnographic observations, semi-spontaneous conversations, oral interviews with members of the group, along with pictures taken while walking the community and participating in some of their events. Our study reveals that participants hold varying perceptions regarding their linguistic and cultural practices. However, it is noteworthy that they recognize these practices as a manifestation of Ecuadorianness, signifying a sense of solidarity among community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of child labor in Ecuador, employing advanced statistical tools like logistic regression, neutrosophic Likert scales, and similarity measures to deepen the understanding of this social issue. The integration of these methodologies allows for a nuanced assessment of the various socio-economic factors contributing to child labor. By capturing the uncertainty in human responses, the research highlights the complex interplay between poverty, household income, education levels, and labor types on the incidence of child labor. Key findings suggest that rural location, the age of the child, and the informal nature of the head of the household's work are the most significant predictors of child labor. Notably, parental education appears to have a less direct influence. Despite various efforts, including government monetary transfers through programs like the BDH, child labor persists, indicating the need for more targeted interventions.The paper proposes future research to extend these models to a broader demographic and geographic data set, emphasizing the potential for these methods to be applied to a variety of social issues. The development of computational tools to automate neutrosophic analysis could greatly benefit large-scale studies, potentially aiding policymakers in designing more effective interventions for vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the accelerated growth of cities and the consequent increase in the number of motor vehicles, urban noise levels caused by vehicular traffic have increased considerably. To assess noise levels in cities and implement noise control measures or identify the problem's location in different urban areas, it is necessary to obtain the noise levels to which people are exposed. Noise maps are tools that have applications as they are cartographic representations of the noise level distribution in an area and over a period of time. This article aims to identify, select, evaluate, and synthesize information, through a systematic literature review, on using different road noise prediction models, in sound mapping computer programs in countries that do not have a standard noise prediction model. The analysis period was from 2018 to 2022. From a previous analysis of articles, the choice of topic was based on identifying various models for predicting road noise in countries without a standardized sound mapping model. The papers compiled by a systematic literature review showed that studies concentrated in China, Brazil, and Ecuador, the most used traffic noise prediction models, were the RLS-90 and the NMPB, and the most used mapping programs were SoundPLAN and ArcGIS with a grid size of 10 × 10 m. Most measurements were carried out during a 15-min period at a height from the ground level of 1.5 m. In addition, it was observed that research on noise maps in countries that do not have a local model has been increasing over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, we introduce a notion of mergeable weighted majority games with the aim of providing the first characterization of the Colomer–Martínez power index (Colomer and Martínez in J Theor Polit 7(1):41–63, 1995). Furthermore, we define and characterize a new power index for the family of weighted majority games that combines ideas of the Public Good (Holler in Polit Stud 30(2):262–271, 1982) and Colomer–Martínez power indices. Finally, we analyze the National Assembly of Ecuador using these and some other well-known power indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acne is a common disease that is associated with scarring and substantial psychosocial burden. The Global Burden of Skin Disease reported that the burden from acne as measured by disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 188 countries and specifically that it is greatest in Western Europe, high-income North America and Southern Latin America. This paper aimed to identify risk factors for acne scarring specific to the Ecuadorian population in order to adapt the 4-ASRAT tool accordingly. Methods: This was an observational prospective study. Participants were recruited to complete a survey that was developed based on the potential risk factors for acne scarring and had facial photographs taken. To determine risk factors and their respective weighting, a logistic regression was performed. Results: The study included 404 participants. Results from univariate analyses indicated that being male (OR = 2.76 95%CI [1.72; 4.43]), having severe or very severe acne scarring (OR = 4.28 95%CI [1.24; 14.79]), acne duration over 1 year (OR = 1.71 95%CI [1.12; 2.60]), oily skin (OR = 2.02 95%CI [1.27; 3.22]) and the presence of acne on the neck (OR = 2.26 95%CI [1.30; 3.92]), were all significantly associated with the presence of acne scarring. Male sex (2.56 95%CI [1.58;4.17]), oily skin (1.96 95%CI [1.20;3.20]) and severe or very severe acne (3.75 95%CI [1.05;13.37]) remained significant risk factors for acne scarring in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: By identifying acne scarring risk factors and applying the tool in everyday dermatology visits, we can reduce the physical and psychological burden that acne scarring causes in the adolescent and adult populations. Further research should be conducted to reassess potential risk factors and complete the adaptation of the tool for the Ecuadorian population, with a larger and more representative study population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciencias de la Salud is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y Juventud is the property of Centro de Estudiso Avanzados en Ninez y Juventud alaianza Cinde, Universidad de Manizales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In many countries, the advancement of hydropower resources has been hindered by economic factors and insufficient data on topography, streamflow, environmental sensitivity, power grid, and, most importantly, the location of potential hydropower sites. This challenge is particularly pronounced in certain African and Latin American river systems. Developing web-based maps of hydropower resources based on geographic information systems and advanced mapping technologies can facilitate the initial assessment of hydropower sites. This is especially relevant for developing sites in remote areas and data-scarce regions. The available geospatial datasets, remote sensing technologies, and advanced GIS modelling techniques can be used to identify potential hydropower sites and assess their preliminary characteristics. This paper reviews web-based hydropower atlases in African and Latin American countries. Their main features are represented and compared with the recently launched HYPOSO map viewer covering two African countries (Cameroon and Uganda) and three Latin American countries (Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador). This hydropower atlas consists of 20 spatial layers. Its particular focus is to present a geospatial dataset of new hydropower sites with concise information for potential investors. These so-called virtual hydropower atlases can be only one type of discovery at the early project stage, automatically identifying sites worthy of further investigation. A formal validation of the web-based atlases, including the HYPOSO hydropower atlas, is briefly considered. Creating open-access hydropower map viewers is anticipated to significantly enhance the hydropower development database in these nations, offering valuable insights for small and medium-scale projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mercados y Negocios is the property of Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Economico Administrativas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Unemployment, a significant economic and social challenge, triggers repercussions that affect individual workers and companies, generating a national economic impact. Forecasting the unemployment rate becomes essential for policymakers, allowing them to make short-term estimates, assess economic health, and make informed monetary policy decisions. This paper proposes the innovative GA-LSTM method, which fuses an LSTM neural network with a genetic algorithm to address challenges in unemployment prediction. Effective parameter determination in recurrent neural networks is crucial and a well-known challenge. The research uses the LSTM neural network to overcome complexities and nonlinearities in unemployment predictions, complementing it with a genetic algorithm to optimize the parameters. The central objective is to evaluate recurrent neural network models by comparing them with GA-LSTM to identify the most appropriate model for predicting unemployment in Ecuador using monthly data collected by various organizations. The results demonstrate that the hybrid GA-LSTM model outperforms traditional approaches, such as BiLSTM and GRU, on various performance metrics. This finding suggests that the combination of the predictive power of LSTM with the optimization capacity of the genetic algorithm offers a robust and effective solution to address the complexity of predicting unemployment in Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodistico is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper focuses on the emissions of the three most sold categories of light vehicles: sedans, SUVs, and pickups. The research is carried out through an innovative methodology based on GPS and machine learning in real driving conditions. For this purpose, driving data from the three best-selling vehicles in Ecuador are acquired using a data logger with GPS included, and emissions are measured using a PEMS in six RDE tests with two standardized routes for each vehicle. The data obtained on Route 1 are used to estimate the gears used during driving using the K-means algorithm and classification trees. Then, the relative importance of driving variables is estimated using random forest techniques, followed by the training of ANNs to estimate CO2, CO, NOX, and HC. The data generated on Route 2 are used to validate the obtained ANNs. These models are fed with a dataset generated from 324, 300, and 316 km of random driving for each type of vehicle. The results of the model were compared with the IVE model and an OBD-based model, showing similar results without the need to mount the PEMS on the vehicles for long test drives. The generated model is robust to different traffic conditions as a result of its training and validation using a large amount of data obtained under completely random driving conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there has been increasing commitment towards equalizing the researcherparticipant relationship in Indigenous tourism research, practices that transform this commitment into reality are still scarce. In this reflective paper, I argue that food sovereignty principles and a researcher’s reflexivity can improve this situation. To support this argument, I draw from my experience of working collaboratively with Kichwa Napo Runa people in Ecuador while exploring the impacts of tourism on their food sovereignty. I examine my reflexivity in two aspects of my work: 1) research journaling to develop awareness of how my values and relationships influence the research process and outcomes; and 2) using this journal's content to reflexively analyse how my research contributes to food sovereignty goals surrounding the development of social relations that are free of oppression and inequality. My journal's passages show that constant attention to reflexivity can equalize power relationships in research and promote an ethical space between researchers and participants. Overall, this paper contributes to critical Indigenous tourism research approaches and the growing literature on practices involving the implementation of food sovereignty in various fields and contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) to understand the diverse behavior of municipal governments in Ecuador to find common elements that influence the well-being of citizens in the short and long term. Information gathering was conducted in two stages: in the first one, a group of 16 national experts was consulted to develop the initial FCM; in the second stage, local experts from 220 municipalities were interviewed to collect information on the general validity of initial FCMs and specific values given to concepts and relationships in their municipalities. Results show the importance of certain concepts for long-term municipal performance, such as the need for a competitive entrepreneurial sector, improving human resources in the municipality, and, particularly, having a competent mayor with leadership skills and a forward-looking vision that enables the development of municipal projects required to reach an efficient and equitable coverage of goods and services throughout the city. Through the application of genetic algorithms, the FCM was calibrated to ascertain the long-term dynamics of municipal development and the optimal values of the concepts that would optimize the attainment of the set objectives. The derived outcomes suggest the desirability of the maintenance of, in principle, unwanted structures like financial transfers from the central government and the need to exploit natural resources to attain urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts on food prices of temperature, the oil price, the exchange rate and wages in the agricultural industry were examined via a structural vector autoregression model and panel Granger causality test, using monthly data between January 2003 and December 2020 for Latin American countries. The paper concerns how much the determinants affect food prices. Empirical findings show that the oil price and temperature can be significant factors for reducing food inflation. According to the result of variance decomposition, in general, a considerable part of food inflation was explained by the exchange rate, but its effect did not show any significant change in the long term. The impacts of the oil price and temperature were limited in the early months, but they created larger changes over time. Impulse response function and the Granger causality test also indicated that exchange rate was a crucial dynamic in explaining food inflation in all countries except Ecuador. This country successfully mitigated the negative effect of the exchange rate, but the oil price and temperature had an impact on food inflation. All results indicate that both monetary and fiscal policies are essential to control food prices. These countries can accomplish this by conventional policies or by radical institutional changes. Nevertheless, the oil price and temperature are external dynamics, and crucial in creating alternative policies to control food inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic's early stages severely impacted global fisheries, particularly areas heavily reliant on imported food and tourism like the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. To contain the spread of the virus, a full lockdown was implemented. However, the collapse of the tourism industry precipitated the worst economic crisis in the history of this multiple-use marine protected area. This paper examines the impact of the pandemic's early stages on consumption patterns and seafood security in the Galapagos from consumers' perspective, drawing on online surveys conducted during the lockdown. Our findings revealed pre-existing seafood insecurity across the archipelago, further exacerbated by the pandemic on the least-populated island. Nevertheless, the seafood system displayed moderated resilience to the pandemic's socioeconomic disruptions. A variety of adaptive responses were adopted by Galapagos residents to cope with the lockdown. Consumers modified their seafood consumption habits, while fishers adapted their harvesting and marketing strategies. Such adaptive responses were shaped by the unique socioeconomic characteristics of each inhabited island and the ability of seafood suppliers to shift from a tourism- and export-oriented to a resident- and domestic-oriented market. This transition has created novel opportunities to foster a systemic transformation of the Galapagos seafood system to enhance its resilience against future crises caused by new pandemics, climate change, or other natural and anthropogenic drivers of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impact of green advertising and eco-labels on the attitudes and environmental awareness of millennials purchasing eco-friendly products in shopping centers across Ecuador. The research utilized a quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional methodology with 430 millennials participating. A 20-item survey was administered face-to-face at shopping centers in Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador. The validity of the research model was established through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), employing SPSS 20 and AMOS 24 for statistical evaluations. Findings reveal that green advertising significantly shapes environmental attitudes (β: 0.245) and awareness (β: 0.110), as well as directly influences the purchasing behavior (β: 0.154) towards green products. While eco-labels do not exert a direct effect on purchasing behavior (β: 0.128), they significantly inform attitudes (β: 0.406) and ecological awareness (β: 0.277) of millennials who purchase organic products. This paper is among the pioneering research to delineate the correlation between green advertising elements and the purchasing patterns of green products among millennials in a developing nation. It concludes that marketing strategies centered on green advertising and eco-labels do affect millennials' attitudes and environmental consciousness, but only advertising has a direct impact on purchasing behaviors, contrary to eco-labels. The research bears social significance as it affirms that millennials are attentive to environmental issues and are actively engaged in promoting sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cooperativismo y Desarrollo (COODES) is the property of Universidad de Pinar del Rio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Copyright of Revista Digital de Derecho Administrativo is the property of Universidad Externado de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Rupturas is the property of Revista Rupturas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Self-constructed cities refer to impoverished neighborhoods that suffer from inadequate housing. Such cities are the result of individual or communal initiatives that must self-construct their neighborhoods. Most of the self-constructed cities are located near endangered bioregions on the Earth, and their continued growth will inevitably aggravate the human impact on our planet. Dwellers in these areas tackle threats such as poverty, environmental degradation, and disaster vulnerability. The lack of knowledge in planning self-constructed cities causes conditions of injustice. However, appropriate management of the existing natural capital of the surrounding areas of such cities can address the mentioned challenges and the conditions for justice. This paper aims to evaluate the role of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in planning procedures, to create conditions of fairness and equity in self-constructed cities. The paper focused on the linkage between the application of NBS and four principles of justice: distributive justice, restorative justice, spatial justice, and interactional justice. Considering data from a review of the literature, scrutiny of past planning and policy measures and a field study with interviews with stakeholders, the empirical result of our study delineates important strategic implications of Nature-Based Solutions for sustainable planning in the case study of San José de Chamanga, Ecuador. It was demonstrated how small-scale, natural-based interventions, instead of broader actions based on a pure engineering perspective, are economically and ecologically profitable, with a positive impact on local communities' well-being and social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stroke is the second most common cause of death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally. However, the incidence and impact of stroke by ethnicity and gender is frequently distinct. This is particularly the case in Ecuador where geographic and economic marginalization are often correlated with ethnic marginalization and the extent to which females lack the same opportunities as their male counterparts. The aim of this paper is to investigate the differential impacts in terms of stroke diagnosis and burden of disease by ethnicity and gender, using hospital discharge records over the years 2015-2020. Methods: This paper calculates stroke incidence, and fatality rates using hospital discharge and death records over the years 2015-2020. The DALY package in R was employed to calculate the Disability Adjusted Life Years lost due to stroke in Ecuador. Results: The results show that while the incidence rate of stroke in males (64.96 per 100,000 persons-year) is higher than that for females on average (57.84 per 100,000 persons-year), males accounted for 52.41% of all stroke cases and 53% of all surviving cases. Thus, hospital data suggests that females had a higher death rate when compared to males. Case fatality rates also differed significantly by ethnicity. The highest fatality rate corresponded to the Montubio ethnic group (87.65%), followed by Afrodescendants (67.21%). The estimated burden of disease of stroke calculated using Ecuadorian hospital records (2015-2020) varied from 1,468 to 2,991 DALY per 1,000 population on average. Discussion: Differences in the burden of disease by ethnic group are likely to reflect differential access to care by region and socio-economic group, both of which are frequently correlated with ethnic composition in Ecuador. Equitable access to health services remains an important challenge in the country. The gender discrepancy in fatality rates suggests that there is a need for targeted educational campaigns to identify stroke signs early, especially in the female population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales is the property of Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Economía del Rosario is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper addresses the importance of understanding the personality traits of teachers and their impact on the educational process. It mentions the existence of stable personality traits and variable personality states that vary over time. It also refers to the five-factor personality model (FFM), which includes the domains of Extraversion, Affability, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience. The study is carried out in the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ecuador, where professors perform functions related to teaching, research, extension, and academic management. It is noted that emotional contagion between teachers and students can be relevant in this environment. The paper presents a qualitative analysis based on a Neutrosophic Cognitive Map (NCM) of nine personality traits: Empathy, Openness to Experience, Introversion, Emotional Stability, Kindness and Respect, Flexibility, Excessive Authoritarianism, Neuroticism and Egocentrism. The causal relationships between these traits are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of empathy as a central factor. It discusses how traits such as empathy, kindness, patience, and emotional stability contribute to a positive and productive learning environment. Furthermore, it is noted that the modification of negative traits, such as excessive authoritarianism and egocentrism, can improve the professional development of teachers and benefit students in the long term. Finally, this study is compared with previous research, and it highlights that the results may vary. For example, a study that did not find significant relationships between personality traits and teaching performance is mentioned, while this study suggests that excessive authoritarianism and egocentrism can affect communication with students and the quality of training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contratexto is the property of Contratexto and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Protected areas are considered the backbone of biodiversity conservation, but their management often fails because local people are not involved, and their needs are ignored. A socioecological approach has been demonstrated to be effective in improving the relationship between conservation efforts and human wellbeing through a better understanding of the interdependence between nature and people. This relationship can be observed through the case of the Kichwa indigenous communities within Yasuní National Park, Ecuador, as they have retained a very close relationship with forest ecosystems. Using key respondent interviews, along with semi-structured interviews and focus groups, this research describes the complex relationship between changing forest ecosystems and human wellbeing. The results highlight food, health, and cultural identity as the most important benefits that communities obtain from forests. The research also sheds light on how people in the investigated area perceive the dynamics of socioecological systems, indicating petroleum, infrastructure development, and small-scale agriculture as the most important direct drivers and land governance and the presence of colonists as the most important indirect drivers of changes to forest ecosystems. This paper demonstrates the importance of monitoring socioecological systems and adapting management to balance complex economic, social, and ecological challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional knowledge, much like scientific knowledge, is the product of observation and reflection from the relationship between people and their habitat. This paper documents the first inventory of native names and ethnozoological information of snakes in the language of the Shiwiar-Chicham (SC) and Kichwa (KW), for those territories located in the Pastaza and Napo basins, Amazonia of Ecuador. Additionally, we analyzed the diversity of native names with the Shannon-Wiener index (D). A total of 50 snake species are inventoried, where 36 species (80%) and 49 (100%) snakes possessed a name in the SC and KW languages, respectively. The KW language (D = 4.02) presented a greater diversity of names assigned to snakes, in comparison to the SC language (D = 3.04). The great cultural and linguistic diversity demonstrates that there is still a need to document and safeguard the ethnozoological knowledge related to snakes in the Amazon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Desarrollo y Sociedad is the property of Universidad de los Andes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Xylaria is a diverse and ecologically important genus in the Ascomycota. This paper describes the xylariaceous fungi present in an Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest and investigates the decay potential of selected Xylaria species. Fungi were collected at Yasuní National Park, Ecuador during two collection trips to a single hectare plot divided into a 10-m by 10-m grid, providing 121 collection points. All Xylaria fruiting bodies found within a 1.2-m radius of each grid point were collected. Dried fruiting bodies were used for culturing and the internal transcribed spacer region was sequenced to identify Xylaria samples to species level. Agar microcosms were used to assess the decay potential of three selected species, two unknown species referred to as Xylaria 1 and Xylaria 2 and Xylaria curta, on four different types of wood from trees growing in Ecuador including balsa (Ochroma pyramidale), melina (Gmelina arborea), saman (Samanea saman), and moral (Chlorophora tinctoria). ANOVA and post-hoc comparisons were used to test for differences in biomass lost between wood blocks inoculated with Xylaria and uninoculated control blocks. Scanning electron micrographs of transverse sections of each wood and assay fungus were used to assess the type of degradation present. Results: 210 Xylaria collections were sequenced, with 106 collections belonging to 60 taxa that were unknown species, all with less than 97% match to NCBI reference sequences. Xylaria with sequence matches of 97% or greater included X. aff. comosa (28 isolates), X. cuneata (9 isolates) X. curta and X. oligotoma (7 isolates), and X. apiculta (6 isolates)., All Xylaria species tested were able to cause type 1 or type 2 soft rot degradation in the four wood types and significant biomass loss was observed compared to the uninoculated controls. Balsa and melina woods had the greatest amount of biomass loss, with as much as 60% and 25% lost, respectively, compared to the controls. Conclusions: Xylaria species were found in extraordinary abundance in the Ecuadorian rainforest studied. Our study demonstrated that the Xylaria species tested can cause a soft rot type of wood decay and with the significant amount of biomass loss that occurred within a short incubation time, it indicates these fungi likely play a significant role in nutrient cycling in the Amazonian rainforest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal Public Administration & Social Management / Administração Pública e Gestão Social is the property of Administracao Publica e Gestao Social and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study harnesses advanced time series models ARIMA, ETS, and SARIMA, coupled with neutrosophic statistics, to forecast unemployment trends through interval-based predictions. Transforming these predictions into neutrosophic forms enables the quantification of indeterminacy, providing a nuanced interpretation of potential economic scenarios. The integration of neutrosophic statistics enhances the interpretative power and accuracy of these models, offering a deeper insight into the inherent uncertainties of economic forecasting. The approach reveals not only the variabilities and potential outcomes within the unemployment rates but also strengthens the decision-making processes by presenting data that encompass both precision and indeterminacy. This paper underscores the importance of advanced statistical methods in economic predictions, suggesting further exploration into other economic metrics and advocating for a broader application of neutrosophic statistics to enhance the reliability of economic forecasting across diverse contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State negotiations constitute the foundation for the development of each nation, relying on the acquisition of resources and services. Public procurement not only has economic and social impacts but also demands that public officials ensure compliance with the law. However, some of these officials have violated the legal principles of public procurement, seeking to obtain benefits, goods, or personal services without legal backing. In studies conducted in Ecuador, this phenomenon has been analyzed in relation to the variability of indeterminacies that public officials face in interpreting regulations. Therefore, this paper focuses on analyzing and defining the levels of indeterminacy present in the neutrosophic variable that influences the functioning of state negotiations. The use of neutrosophic statistics is suggested for modeling the study to detect indeterminacies of the variable in each dimension. Among the neutrosophic results, the misuse of government policies in state negotiation processes is identified as the sole criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a fuzzy-based energy management strategy (EMS) to maximize the self-consumption from a PV installation with an energy storage system (ESS) for the residential sector adapted to the Ecuadorian electricity market. The EMS includes two control levels: Energy management at the end-user level (Fuzzy-based EMS and optimized by genetic Algorithm) and Energy management at the distribution grid level (Fuzzy-based EMS). Both strategies aim to maximize the use of the energy generated at home (taking into account the local solar generation profile), fulfilling the loads' demand and injecting the energy surplus into the main grid to be economically compensated. Additionally, this paper presents economical modeling according to the electricity market in Ecuador. The main results showed a cost reduction in the electricity bill up to 83.64% from the base case (residential consumption without a PV system). In the scenario of a community electricity market (still not contemplated under the Ecuadorian electricity law), the potential economic savings may be more than double compared to the exact case but only with a self-consumption system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws attention to the need of a reform of the environmental protection by means of international criminal law as enshrined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. After giving a short overview of the contemporary environmental protection in war- and peacetime offered by international criminal law, it becomes clear that international criminal law fails to succeed at offering sufficient environmental protection. This paper outlines that there is no convincing reason for a differentiated approach in international criminal law to environmental damage in wartime and in peacetime, and that a shift from an anthropocentric to an ecocentric approach would positively contribute to a more effective protection of the environment. It is therefore argued for the introduction of a new integral and ecocentric international crime against the environment in the Rome Statute. The paper then elaborates on existing proposals on such a new crime against the environment before some proper observations on the exact contours of the crime are made. A focus lies on the new crime's threshold of seriousness as well as on the necessary mens rea requirements. The insufficiency of the contemporary legal framework and the merits of a new crime against the environment are exemplified by an archetype example of peacetime environmental damage, the Chevron/Texaco oil spill scenario in Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diphenolic diterpene carnosol was isolated from several species of the family Lamiaceae, including Lepechinia mutica, a medicinal plant endemic to Ecuador. The compound has exhibited high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and antifungal properties, as well as promising cytotoxicity against prostate, breast, skin, leukemia, and human colon cancer cell lines. In this paper, we developed and validated a simple, accurate, and reliable analytical HPLC-UV-ESI-IT-MS method, carried out on a C18 column, which is potentially suitable to quantify carnosol in plant extracts. The procedure complied with the established ICH validation parameters of analytical range (linearity in the range of 0.19–5.64 μg/g dried leaves; REAVERGE = 4.9%; R2 = 0.99907), analysis repeatability (RSD = 2.8–3.6%), intermediate precision (RSD = 1.9–3.6%), accuracy (estimated as % carnosol recovery in the range of 81 to 108%), and robustness. Finally, the LOD (0.04 µg/mg) and LOQ (0.19 μg/mg) values of carnosol/dried leaves were determined. Using this validated method, the content of carnosol in L. mutica was estimated to be 0.81 ± 0.04 mg/g of dried leaves (0.081%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many young children in Ecuador suffer from high rates of malnutrition and stunting that affect their long-term growth and development. Little is known about the dietary patterns of children from the Amazon region who experience some of the highest rates of stunting (height-for-age) within Ecuador. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 mothers of young children living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In addition to descriptions of overall dietary patterns, three themes emerged from the interviews relating to strengths mothers have in feeding their children healthy diets: knowledge, autonomous and independent children, and supportive and responsive parenting. Five themes were found relating to barriers mothers have in feeding their children healthy diets. The first four themes concerned barriers (lack of knowledge of healthy foods, lack of access to healthy foods, not enough money, and child's health) related to multidimensional poverty. All these influenced the last theme found, namely, how difficult of an eater the child was. The implications of intervention efforts to reduce undernutrition and promote children's development by building on specific family and community strengths and identified barriers are also discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the smart working (SW) relationships at large and medium-sized companies in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru in terms of base technologies (BT) and corporate performance (CP). A total of 431 surveys were collected from workers at different hierarchical levels, and data processing was done using the Structural Equations Model (SEM) and Multigroup Analysis. We found that SW and BT positively influence CP, with BT having the greater influence, and economic activity moderated these relationships. Consequently, we show that manufacturing companies use SW the most, while service companies tend towards BT. No significant differences were found in the multigroup analysis by type of industry. However, there was a positive association between CP and SW only for commercialization companies, which means that these are increasingly making inroads into using SW. This paper acknowledges the contributions of previous studies, and is the first to provide researchers, practitioners, and academics with empirical evidence on SW, BT, and CP. It also broadens the understanding of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies and their impact on the CP of companies in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciencia y Educación (2707-3378) is the property of Duanys Miguel Pena Lopez and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Politics in Latin America is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nowadays, energy decarbonization due to integrating renewable energy sources presents important challenges to overcome. The intermittent nature of photovoltaic systems reduces power quality by producing voltage variations and frequency deviations in electrical system networks, especially in weak and isolated distribution systems in developing countries. This paper presents a power smoothing method for improving the low-pass filter and moving average for grid-connected photovoltaic systems. This novel method includes state-of-charge monitoring control of the supercapacitor's energy storage system to reduce the fluctuations of photovoltaic power at the point of common coupling. A case study for a microgrid in a high-altitude city in Ecuador is presented with exhaustive laboratory tests using real data. This research aims to improve energy power quality in electrical distribution systems to cope with the growth of renewable penetration. The results demonstrate significant power quality and stability improvements achieved through the proposed method. For instance, the power smoothing method effectively reduced power fluctuations by 16.7% with the low-pass filter, 14.05% with the ramp-rate filter, and 9.7% with the moving average filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper are studied two soil profiles from the soil map in scale 1:25 000 of the fluvial plain region Carrizal-Chone, in Manabi province, Ecuador. One of profiles is a soil fluvic Feozem by tree vegetation and the other is a fluvic eutric Cambisol by long time cultivated condition. It is studied the changes of the physical soil properties by the anthropogenic conditions, with changes in the soil structure, volume density, and the increasing of the dispersion factor. In this paper is demonstrated the change from a Feozem soil to a Cambisol soil because the long time cultivated action [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anuario Turismo y Sociedad is the property of Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Empresas Turísticas y Hoteleras and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)