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The present paper aims to describe the process of creating CHARG—Corpus de Habla Radiofónica de Guayaquil (the Guayaquil Radiophonic Speech Corpus). It is the first systematized spoken corpus for this rather under-researched variety of Spanish. Guayaquil is the most populated city of Ecuador, while its capital city is Quito. Therefore, Ecuador is a rare case of a Spanish-speaking country with two major urban centers that belong to two separate dialectal zones, offering a very peculiar sociolinguistic context. CHARG is a corpus composed of Guayaquil radio programs. Its structure is organized by non-linguistic criteria (program type) in order to ensure a representative and balanced sample. The paper describes the design of the corpus (defining the study population, sample and stratification) and its construction (recording procedure, speakers and speech style coding, transcription and annotation). As a result, CHARG consists of 24 h of transcriptions and annotations of recordings from 142 speakers. The paper's potential use is twofold: since it presents a step-by-step procedure of corpus construction that can be replicated, the readers might be interested in both the procedure and the corpus itself as a research material. [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]

Floods represent one of the most threatening risks for earthen architectural heritage. Developing risk assessment tools is considered crucial to mitigate the risk and to protect heritage buildings. Due to its hygroscopic nature, earthen architecture is generally considered to be vulnerable to water, requiring a specific analysis. This paper proposes a vulnerability assessment method for earthen buildings in flood-prone areas. Based on the evaluation of the susceptibility of the building's components and characteristics, the method allows for quantifying the vulnerability of the assets, in non-monetary terms. An application of the methodology is carried out assessing a selection of earthen construction in Quito Historic Centre (Ecuador). The results show the influence of each component in the global vulnerability of the earthen buildings. The response of different construction techniques and the importance of the maintenance of heritage buildings is exposed. Vulnerability assessment methods at the meso-small scale constitute the foundation for risk assessment. Thus, this study aims to provide a significant assessment tool that can be used for further analysis and future lines of research, aiming to protect cultural heritage that is at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista INVI is the property of Universidad de Chile 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 Gender & Development is the property of Routledge 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.)

The article reports that the American Society of Quality and Corporation 3D Quality are co-sponsoring the Quality International Congress on June 22-23, 2007 in Quito, Ecuador. Both organizations have issued a call for success stories and a call for papers. The deadline for submissions is March 16, 2007. Contact information are provided for interested presenters.

Copyright of Cuadernos de Música, Artes Visuales y Artes Escénicas is the property of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana 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: The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria may be driven by human–animal–environment interactions, especially in regions with limited restrictions on antibiotic use, widespread food animal production, and free-roaming domestic animals. In this study, we aimed to identify risk factors related to commercial food animal production, small-scale or "backyard" food animal production, domestic animal ownership, and practices related to animal handling, waste disposal, and antibiotic use in Ecuadorian communities. Methods and findings: We conducted a repeated measures study from 2018 to 2021 in 7 semirural parishes of Quito, Ecuador to identify determinants of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli (3GCR-EC) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase E. coli (ESBL-EC) in children. We collected 1,699 fecal samples from 600 children and 1,871 domestic animal fecal samples from 376 of the same households at up to 5 time points per household over the 3-year study period. We used multivariable log-binomial regression models to estimate relative risks (RR) of 3GCR-EC and ESBL-EC carriage, adjusting for child sex and age, caregiver education, household wealth, and recent child antibiotic use. Risk factors for 3GCR-EC included living within 5 km of more than 5 commercial food animal operations (RR: 1.26; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10, 1.45; p-value: 0.001), household pig ownership (RR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.48; p-value: 0.030) and child pet contact (RR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.39; p-value: 0.001). Risk factors for ESBL-EC were dog ownership (RR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.83; p-value: 0.053), child pet contact (RR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.16; p-value: 0.012), and placing animal feces on household land/crops (RR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.46; p-value: 0.019). The primary limitations of this study are the use of proxy and self-reported exposure measures and the use of a single beta-lactamase drug (ceftazidime with clavulanic acid) in combination disk diffusion tests for ESBL confirmation, potentially underestimating phenotypic ESBL production among cephalosporin-resistant E. coli isolates. To improve ESBL determination, it is recommended to use 2 combination disk diffusion tests (ceftazidime with clavulanic acid and cefotaxime with clavulanic acid) for ESBL confirmatory testing. Future studies should also characterize transmission pathways by assessing antibiotic resistance in commercial food animals and environmental reservoirs. Conclusions: In this study, we observed an increase in enteric colonization of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among children with exposures to domestic animals and their waste in the household environment and children living in areas with a higher density of commercial food animal production operations. In a repeated-measures study conducted between 2018-2021 in 7 semi-rural parishes of Quito, Ecuador, Heather Kathleen Amato and colleagues aim to identify determinants of antibiotic resistant E.coli infection in children. Author summary: Why was this study done?: An estimated 1.27 million deaths in 2019 were attributable to bacterial antibiotic-resistant infections, 89% of which occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Small-scale and commercial-scale food animal production is expanding rapidly in middle-income countries like Ecuador and antibiotic use in food animals is increasing at the fastest rate in these settings, fueling the emergence and selection of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Evidence is needed to inform action against the spread of antibiotic resistance in communities with varying degrees of both small-scale or "backyard" and commercial food animal production, especially in South America where research on community-acquired antibiotic resistance is lacking. What did the researchers do and find?: We conducted a repeated measures study in a food animal-producing region in Ecuador to compare the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacterial (ARB) carriage among children with varying degrees of exposure to backyard and commercial food animals. We used multivariable log-binomial regression models to estimate relative risks (RR) of ARB carriage, adjusting for child sex and age, caregiver education, household wealth, and recent child antibiotic use. Living within 5 km of >5 commercial food animal operations, household pig or dog ownership, child contact with pets, and placing animal feces on household crops were identified as significant risk factors for ARB carriage in children. What do these findings mean?: This study underscores the need for improved waste management and surveillance of antibiotic resistance in LMICs with widespread food animal production. A significant challenge remains: There is a lack of available data on antibiotic usage and resistance in commercial food animal operations and their effluent, in Ecuador and globally, due to limited oversight and surveillance. In future studies, researchers should work with local and national governments to monitor antibiotic use and resistance in food animals, food animal production waste, nearby environmental reservoirs, and food animal products in order to more accurately characterize sources of exposure and transmission routes of community-acquired ARB. The primary limitations of this study are the use of proxy and self-reported exposure measures and the use of a single beta-lactamase drug (ceftazidime with clavulanic acid) in combination disk diffusion tests for ESBL confirmation, potentially underestimating phenotypic ESBL production among cephalosporin-resistant E. coli isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the discussion surrounding neoliberal urbanism has been empirically grounded in the North. This paper shifts the discussion south to focus on the regulation of indigenous street vendors and beggars in the Andean nation of Ecuador. Inspired by zero tolerance policies from the North, the cities of Quito and Guayaquil have recently initiated urban regeneration projects to cleanse the streets of informal workers, beggars, and street children. In this paper, I explore the particular and pernicious ways in which these neoliberal urban policies affect indigenous peoples in the urban informal sector. Grounded in the literature on space, race and ethnicity in the Andes, I argue that Ecuador's particular twist on revanchism is through its more transparent engagement with the project of blanqueamiento or “whitening”. I further argue that Ecuador's “refinement” of revanchist urban policies only works to displace already marginalised individuals and push them into more difficult circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Cubana de Ciencias Forestales 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.)

Like many Latin American cities, the city of Quito, Ecuador, is adopting innovative transit development like Bus Rapid Transit, cable car systems, and underground metro rail to connect previously marginalized communities across the city. In this landscape urban dwellers continue to use informal transportation to complete their journeys. Informal transit is understood as a self-regulated and flexible service that operates in tandem with the formal, public system of the city. In contrast to research with a political-economic focus on informal transit as a self-regulated entrepreneurial activity, this paper examines informal transit under the broader social conditions of neoliberalism. Thus, our attention is on understanding this collective service and how it functions to provide urban livelihood for residents. Using ethnographic and participatory research that draws on participant observation, photography, interviews, and GPS technology, this research first shows how informal transit is an infrastructure that produces new affective relations between citizens and the state. We discuss the ways in which care emerges as a powerful lens to reconsider gender identities in the city by specifically exploring patriarchal power relations, highlighting that while men experience marginality when performing informal and illegal work, they simultaneously exert masculine privilege in the construction of transit infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A public safety answering point (PSAP) receives thousands of security alerts and attends a similar number of emergencies every day, and all the information related to those events is saved to be post-processed and scrutinized. Visualization and interpretation of emergency data can provide fundamental feedback to the first-response institutions, to managers planning resource distributions, and to all the instances participating in the emergency-response cycle. This paper develops the application of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) of emergency responses in a PSAP, with the objective of finding informative relationships among the different categories of registered and attended events. We propose a simple yet statistically meaningful method to scrutinize the variety of events and recorded information in conventional PSAPs. For this purpose, MCA is made on the categorical features of the available report forms, and a statistical description is achieved from it by combining bootstrap resampling and Parzen windowing, in order to provide the user with the most relevant factors, their significance, and a meaningful representation of the event grouping trends in a given database. We analyzed the case of the 911-emergency database from Quito, Ecuador, which includes 1,078,846 events during 2014. Individual analysis of the first-response institutions showed that there are groups with very related categories, whereas their joint analysis showed significant relationships among several types of events. This was the case for fire brigades, military, and municipal services attending large-scale forest fires, where they work in a combined way. Independence could be established among actions in other categories, which was the case for specific police events (as drug selling and distribution) or fire brigades events (as fire threats). We also showed that a very low number of factors can be enough to accurately represent the dynamics of frequent events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban theorist Jane Jacobs related the presence of people with street safety, coining the expression "eyes on the street" and connecting it with morphological characteristics of architecture and urban space. However, urban studies have usually focused on people's perceptions of fear and social features rather than establishing a connection between where violence takes place and how the built environment looks like. This paper aims to estimate a potential relationship between street safety and urban morphology in a neighborhood of Quito, Ecuador, called la Mariscal. Crime Data was provided by the competent local government and morphological indicators were taken from a recent study of the neighborhood. Both categories were tested using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) econometric model. Results show that five morphological indicators related with the presence of people, non-basic commercial and facility balance, street area, distance to squares and pocket parks, distance to public transport stations, and distance to border vacuums, referring to big urban areas abandoned or with massive single uses, are strongly correlated with the number of robberies. This outcome provides evidence to support that urban planning and design principles may incorporate safety considerations. • The presence of people helps to reduce the number of street robberies. • Morphological urban indicators related to the presence of people are strongly correlated with the number of street robberies. • Jane Jacobs's postulate regarding eyes on the street is still valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antibiotics are increasingly used throughout the world in food animal production for controlling and preventing disease and for promoting growth. But this trend also has the potential for promoting antibiotic resistance, which represents a threat to human, animal, and environmental health. The use of antibiotics and the potential effects of antibiotic dependence has often been associated with large-scale food animal production. But rural households also engage in small-scale production, often operating literally in backyards. While some small-scale producers use veterinary antibiotics, many do not. This paper examines knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and agricultural practices (KAP) that represent an alternative to dependence on antibiotics.Methods: Qualitative field research was based on four focus group discussions (FGDs) with non-indigenous backyard food animal producers in four communities near Quito, Ecuador and two FGDs with veterinarians. FGDs were supplemented by structured observations and key informant interviews. They were recorded with digital audio devices and transcriptions were analyzed independently by two researchers using a three-stage coding procedure. Open coding identifies underlying concepts, while axial coding develops categories and properties, and selective coding integrates the information in order to identify the key dimensions of the collective qualitative data.Results: Backyard food animal producers in the Ecuadorian highlands generally do not use antibiotics while rearing small batches of animals and poultry for predominantly non-commercial household consumption. Instead, they rely on low cost traditional veterinary remedies. These practices are informed by their Andean history of agriculture and a belief system whereby physical activity is a holistic lifestyle through which people maintain their health by participating in the physical and spiritual environment.Conclusions: Backyard food animal producers in the Ecuadorian highlands implement complex strategies based on both economic calculations and sociocultural underpinnings that shape perceptions, attitudes, and practices. They use traditional veterinary remedies in lieu of antibiotics in most cases because limited production of food animals in small spaces contributes to a predictable household food supply, while at the same time conforming to traditional concepts of human and environmental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the pollution of the Machángara River basin in Ecuador. For the assessment, water samples were pumped from the river for 1 to 4 h, with a representative water sample of 4 L collected. In the site and laboratory, the physicochemical parameters, carbamazepine (CBZ), and diclofenac (DIC) concentrations were measured using standardized analytical methods. On average, a temperature of 17.02 °C, pH of 7.06, electrical conductivity of 760.96 µS/cm, and turbidity of 83.43 NTU were found. Furthermore, the average solids content was 72.88, 495.47, and 568.35 mg/L for total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total solids (TS) in that order. The highest chloride concentration (Cl− = 87.97 mg/L) was below the maximum permissible limit (MPL) based on the Ecuadorian regulations for surface and underground water for human consumption and domestic use, which only require conventional treatment. In contrast, levels of nitrate (NO3− = 27.75–288.25 mg/L) and nitrite in five points (NO2− = 2.02–5.42 mg/L) were higher than the MPLs. Moreover, sulfate (SO42− = 34.75–110 mg/L) and phosphate (PO4−P = 4.15–16.58 mg/L) contents caused turbidity and eutrophication in the river water., Additionally, concentrations of copper (Cu2+ = 0.002–0.071 mg/L), zinc (Zn2+ = 0.001–0.011 mg/L) and iron (Fe3+ = 0.000–0.287 mg/L) were within the permissible limits. On the other hand, carbamazepine concentrations in the Machángara River basin were below the limit of detection (LOD) up to a value of 0.121 mg/L. At the same time, diclofenac levels ranged from 9.32 to 48.05 mg/L. The concentration discrepancy for both pharmaceuticals is linked with the trend of drug consumption by Quito's inhabitants. As measured in this investigation, meaningful amounts of CBZ and DIC are released to the Machángara River. Accordingly, the two pharmaceuticals in the river water may be dangerous for aquatic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Geopolitica(s): Revista de Estudios Sobre Espacio y Poder 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.)

Copyright of Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana is the property of Sociedad Geologica Mexicana 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 examines a range of interactional activities participants carry out in the course of corner shop transactions in Quito, Ecuador. These activities include: phatic communication exchanges as traditionally conceived, that is, conventionalized forms such as how-are-you and health inquiries; individualized exchanges in the form of conversational work around a range of topics (e.g. politics, health, school); and creative language play activities (e.g. wordplay and linguistic play with names). These activities are described as reflecting participants’ orientation to the maintenance of positive rapport or friendly relations ( ) with the effect that the service transaction becomes a pleasant and even an entertaining encounter. Such orientation is described here in relation to the familiarity existing between shopkeepers and customers as a result of frequent contact in the context of the barrio(residential neighborhoods) in Quito. As such the study lends support, from a different socio-cultural perspective, to recent work in the area that highlights the centrality of phatic communication in task-oriented interactions in English (cf. , , ), and brings to the fore a wider range of activities which appear to be employed for rapport-building purposes in service encounters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Church of the Company of Jesus in Quito (1605–1765) is one of the most remarkable examples of colonial religious architecture on the World Heritage List. This church has multiple constructive phases and several interventions with no clear record of the entire architectural site, including the historical mortars. A total of 14 samples of coating mortars inside the central nave were taken, with the protocols suggested by the research team and a comparative sample of the architectural group that does not have intervention. The analysis presented in this paper focuses on mineralogical characterization, semi-quantitative analysis by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis of the samples. The results showed the presence of volcanic aggregate lime and gypsum, used in lining mortars and joint mortars. Mineralogical and textural composition data have allowed the mortar samples to be relatively dated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determines the location of the minimum fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in the interurban route Riobamba–Quito in Ecuador using the methodology of the maximum distance between fast charges (MDFC). From the application of the method, a MDFC of 60 km and a basic highway charging infrastructure (BHCI) of six stations are obtained. The location is calculated by measuring the MDFC on the road using the desktop application Google Earth Pro. The proposal is validated by means of a mathematical model in Simulink, and two simulation scenarios are proposed. In the first one, the initial state of charge (SOC) is 95% and represents an EV with complete charging patterns, while in the second one, the initial SOC is 65% and represents incomplete charging patterns. The results indicate that for both simulation scenarios, the EV KIA SOUL 2016 can perform the specified round-trip routes using the proposed BHCI performing two fast charges of 20 min each way. In all cases, SOC values during operation remain above 20%. The results obtained allow us to establish that the proposed BHCI and its location are sufficient to allow the studied EV to complete the route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccination coverage in Ecuador has decreased since 2013, falling short of the World Health Organization's vaccination goal. There are several causes for this deficiency in coverage, one of these are lost vaccination opportunities, which are caused when a patient without contraindications postpones, or for other reasons fails to receive a recommended immunization. The objective of this study was to determine the state of knowledge regarding vaccination contraindications among the Metropolitan District of Quito health personnel to assess missed vaccination opportunities. Through this cross-sectional descriptive study, health personnel were surveyed online and asked 18 clinical scenarios which were created to evaluate their knowledge of the true contraindications of vaccination, and measure missed opportunities. A total of 273 surveys were collected; 74% belonged to the public health system, and the rest represented by private practitioners. Of those surveyed, 98.2% of health personnel had improperly denied vaccination at least once. We specifically found vaccinations were incorrectly denied more frequently in cases where the hypothetical patient presented mild or moderate fever cases. The use of corticosteroids, autoimmune diseases, and egg allergy were also incorrectly denied (89%, 71.4%, 72.9%, and 58.6%, respectively). Among the health personnel surveyed, there is an apparent lack of knowledge of the true contraindications of vaccination and differences in knowledge about contraindications according to personnel in charge of administering immunization to children. Our preliminary results suggest that lack of education related to side effects could be biasing medical professionals' decisions, causing them to unnecessarily delay or deny vaccinations, which likely contributes to explaining low overall vaccination coverage in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The religious art of the Dominican order is reflected in Santo Domingo Church, which was built between 1541 and 1688. This work of heritage architecture, one of the first to be built in the colonized city, was affected by multiple earthquakes, interventions, and constructions that have not been clearly recorded. A total of 13 samples were taken from the mortar inside the cloister, central nave, and side chapel, following the minor destruction-testing protocols and standards suggested by the research team. The analysis included mineral characterization studies and quantitative analysis by X-ray diffraction, petrographic, and scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis of the samples. The results showed the presence of volcanic aggregates and lime mortars, mortars of rustic composition and coarse manufacture. The results of mineralogical data and texture have allowed us to corroborate the historical information described by the chroniclers, to date relatively studied sites and to establish a hypothesis of constructive stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of improving security in cities and reducing the number of crimes, this research proposes an algorithm that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques to generate police patrol routes. Real data on crimes reported in Quito City, Ecuador, during 2017 are used. The algorithm, which consists of four stages, combines spatial and temporal information. First, crimes are grouped around the points with the highest concentration of felonies, and future hotspots are predicted. Then, the probability of crimes committed in any of those areas at a time slot is studied. This information is combined with the spatial way-points to obtain real surveillance routes through a fuzzy decision system, that considers distance and time (computed with the OpenStreetMap API), and probability. Computing time has been analized and routes have been compared with those proposed by an expert. The results prove that using spatial–temporal information allows the design of patrolling routes in an effective way and thus, improves citizen security and decreases spending on police resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and primary dysmenorrhoea are debilitating conditions that can impair the quality of life of affected women. These conditions are frequently neglected, delaying proper diagnosis and healthcare provision. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CPP and primary dysmenorrhoea in Ecuador and identify potential variables associated with their occurrence.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in an urban neighbourhood of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. A total of 2397 participants of 14-49 years of age were included. The data were collected through questionnaires administered by trained interviewers.The crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using a log-binomial regression model. The correlation between pain intensity catastrophising of symptoms were statistically analysed.Results: The prevalence of CPP and primary dysmenorrhoea was 9.8% and 8.9%, respectively. Irritative urinary symptoms, primary dysmenorrhoea, and underlying mental disorders were associated with CPP, while smoking, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disturbance, dyspareunia, and mental disorders were associated with primary dysmenorrhoea.Conclusions: The prevalence of CPP and primary dysmenorrhoea in Ecuador was similar to that in other Latin American countries. Primary dysmenorrhoea is a risk factor of CPP, and less than a quarter of women are undergoing treatment for the condition. Our findings reinforce the importance of healthcare interventions in anticipating the diagnosis of these conditions in women of reproductive age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Alteridad: Revista de Educación is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana 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.)

Halted by the police, repeatedly defaced, and ultimately erased, the mural El Amor No Tiene Género (Love Has No Gender) lasted less than one week on the streets of Quito before it disappeared under a layer of whitewash in July 2019. The image – a trio of kissing couples – was painted by local street artist Apitatán to celebrate Ecuador's landmark approval of marriage equality. Its destruction inspired widespread media coverage, direct-action activism, and institutional support for the mural which culminated in its revival two months later. This article investigates what the double life of Apitatán's mural reveals about the politics of visibility in Quito at a critical moment of consolidating political rights for the country's LGBTQ community. Drawing on digital ethnography and storytelling methods, I weave together these two visibility disputes – about the mural and about queer love – to illustrate how public visibility is always contingent. To do so, my analysis explores the interplay between erasure and policing practices to enforce conditions of visibility within the urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Universitas, Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana 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.)

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, with more than 2.5 M inhabitants, is exposed to a high seismic hazard due to its proximity to the Pacific subduction zone and active crustal faults, both capable of generating significant earthquakes. Furthermore, the city is located in an intermontane piggy-back basin prone to seismic wave amplification. To understand the basin's seismic response and characterize its geological structure, 20 broad and medium frequency band seismic stations were deployed in Quito's urban area between May 2016 and July 2018 that continuously recorded ambient seismic noise. We first compute horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios to determine the resonant frequency distribution in the entire basin. Secondly, we cross-correlate seismic stations operating simultaneously to retrieve interstations surface-wave Green's functions in the frequency range of 0.1–2 Hz. We find that Love waves travelling in the basin's longitudinal direction (NNE–SSW) show much clearer correlograms than those from Rayleigh waves. We then compute Love wave phase-velocity dispersion curves and invert them in conjunction with the HVSR curves to obtain shear-wave velocity profiles throughout the city. The inversions highlight a clear difference in the basin's structure between its northern and southern parts. In the centre and northern areas, the estimated basin depth and mean shear-wave velocity are about 200 m and 1800 ms−1, respectively, showing resonance frequency values between 0.6 and 0.7 Hz. On the contrary, the basement's depth and shear-wave velocity in the southern part are about 900 m and 2500 ms−1, having a low resonance frequency value of around 0.3 Hz. This difference in structure between the centre-north and the south of the basin explains the spatial distribution of low-frequency seismic amplifications observed during the M w 7.8 Pedernales earthquake in April 2016 in Quito. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of LINRED. Linguistica en la Red is the property of Universidad de Alcala. UAH 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.)

Lahars, here defined as debris flows of volcanic origin, are rapid mass movements that pose a serious threat to cities located in the vicinity of many volcanoes. Quito, capital city of Ecuador and placed at the foot of the Pichincha volcano complex, is exposed to serious inundation hazard as part of the city is built on numerous deposits of large lahars that have occurred in the last 10,000 years.The objective of this paper is to model the potential lahars of the Pichincha volcano to predict inundation areas within the city of Quito. For this purpose two models that apply different approaches were utilized and their results were compared.The programs used were LAHARZ, a semi-empirical model conceived by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and FLO-2D, a hydraulic model distributed by FLO Software Inc. LAHARZ is designed as a rapid, objective and reproducible automated method for mapping areas of potential lahar inundation (Proc. First Int. Conf. on Debris Flow Hazards Mitigation, San Francisco, USA, ASCE, 1998, p. 176). FLO-2D is a two-dimensional flood routing model for simulating overland flow on complex surfaces such as floodplains, alluvial fans or urbanized areas (FLO-2D Users manual, version 99.2). Both models run within geographical information systems (GIS).Fieldwork was focused on collecting all available information involved in lahar modeling. A total of 49 channel cross-sections were measured along the two main streams and stratigraphic investigations were carried out on the fans to estimate the volume of previous events. A global positioning system was utilized to determine the coordinates of each cross-section. Further data collection concerned topography, rainfall characteristics and ashfall thicknesses. All fieldwork was carried out in cooperation with the Instituto Geofisico of the Escuela Politecnica Nacional.Modeling in a GIS environment greatly aided the exportation of results for the creation of thematic maps and facilitated model comparison. Evaluation of the models was performed by comparing simulation results against each other and against the geometry of existing lahar deposits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. In Ecuador, the first case of COVID-19 was recorded on 29 February 2020. Despite efforts to control its spread, SARS-CoV-2 overran the Ecuadorian public health system, which became one of the most affected in Latin America on 24 April 2020. The Hospital General del Sur de Quito (HGSQ) had to transition from a general to a specific COVID-19 health center in a short period of time to fulfill the health demand from patients with respiratory afflictions. Here, we summarized the implementations applied in the HGSQ to become a COVID-19 exclusive hospital, including the rearrangement of hospital rooms and a triage strategy based on a severity score calculated through an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted chest computed tomography (CT). Moreover, we present clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory data from 75 laboratory tested COVID-19 patients, which represent the first outbreak of Quito city. The majority of patients were male with a median age of 50 years. We found differences in laboratory parameters between intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU cases considering C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and lymphocytes. Sensitivity and specificity of the AI-assisted chest CT were 21.4% and 66.7%, respectively, when considering a score >70%; regardless, this system became a cornerstone of hospital triage due to the lack of RT-PCR testing and timely results. If health workers act as vectors of SARS-CoV-2 at their domiciles, they can seed outbreaks that might put 1,879,047 people at risk of infection within 15 km around the hospital. Despite our limited sample size, the information presented can be used as a local example that might aid future responses in low and middle-income countries facing respiratory transmitted epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the third edition of the Jornadas de Sistemas de Telecomunicaciones (JST) event held in Quito, Ecuador from May 14-16, 2008 is presented. The event was organized by the Escuela Politecnica Nacional Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Branch and its Communications Student Chapter. The keynote addresses were focused on technical and scientific knowledge advancement in telecommunication.

Background: The rapid spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli (ESBL-EC) is an urgent global health threat. We examined child caretaker knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards proper antimicrobial agent use and whether certain KAP were associated with ESBL-EC colonization of their children. Methods: Child caretakers living in semi-rural neighborhoods in peri-urban Quito, Ecuador were visited and surveyed about their KAP towards antibiotics. Fecal samples from one child (less than 5 years of age) per household were collected at two time points between July 2018 and May 2019 and screened for ESBL-EC. A repeated measures analysis with logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between KAP levels and child colonization with ESBL-EC. Results: We analyzed 740 stool samples from 444 children living in households representing a range of environmental conditions. Of 374 children who provided fecal samples at the first household visit, 44 children were colonized with ESBL-EC (11.8%) and 161 were colonized with multidrug-resistant E. coli (43%). The prevalences of ESBL-EC and multidrug-resistant E. coli were similar at the second visit (11.2% and 41.3%, respectively; N = 366). Only 8% of caretakers knew that antibiotics killed bacteria but not viruses, and over a third reported that they "always" give their children antibiotics when the child's throat hurts (35%). Few associations were observed between KAP variables and ESBL-EC carriage among children. The odds of ESBL-EC carriage were 2.17 times greater (95% CI: 1.18–3.99) among children whose caregivers incorrectly stated that antibiotics do not kill bacteria compared to children whose caregivers correctly stated that antibiotics kill bacteria. Children from households where the caretaker answered the question "When your child's throat hurts, do you give them antibiotics?" with "sometimes" had lower odds of ESBL-EC carriage than those with a caretaker response of "never" (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.27–0.87). Conclusion: Caregivers in our study population generally demonstrated low knowledge regarding appropriate use of antibiotics. Our findings suggest that misinformation about the types of infections (i.e. bacterial or viral) antibiotics should be used for may be associated with elevated odds of carriage of ESBL-EC. Understanding that using antibiotics is appropriate to treat infections some of the time may reduce the odds of ESBL-EC carriage. Overall, however, KAP measures of appropriate use of antibiotics were not strongly associated with ESBL-EC carriage. Other individual- and community-level environmental factors may overshadow the effect of KAP on ESBL-EC colonization. Intervention studies are needed to assess the true effect of improving KAP on laboratory-confirmed carriage of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and should consider community-level studies for more effective management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Neotropical Biodiversity 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.)

'What there is to fear', is how a taxi driver put it. That is, in different worlds 'what there is to fear' shifts. It's a dark definition of a world – a universe of shared fears. But in Ecuador's Amazon, snakes are one thing there is to fear, while in metropolitan Quito, among Colombian forced migrants, other Colombians are what there is to fear: paramilitaries, decommissioned guerillas or extortionists who cross the border to exact a price – in blood, pain or money. Yet, in therapeutic encounters several forced migrants I know were told they suffered from persecution anxiety or that the face of the killer they saw across the market stall was probably just another Ecuadorean face. Working through a series of 'scenes' this article asks how fear works to create and break human kinship–or what Sahlins has called the 'mutuality of being'–and what I am calling a world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fundamental period of structures is a parameter used in structure under design and for evaluating existing structures. Data-driven methods using ambient vibrations have become popular, particularly for the adjustment of empirical relationships applied to building classes. This study presents the results of a survey of ambient vibrations performed in 146 reinforced concrete buildings in the center of Quito (Ecuador). Classical functional forms giving period (T) for height (H) or number of floors (N) are derived and compared with the relationships available in the Ecuadorian seismic design provisions. We highlight variations in the empirical relationships according to soil conditions, but above all according to the date of construction and the historic seismic sequence to which the buildings have been exposed. The cumulative damage effect is finally confirmed by repeating ambient vibration measurements after the 2016 Mw 7.8 Pedernales earthquake located in the subduction zone, about 175 km from Quito. Even with such a long epicentral distance, leading to low macroseismic intensity (IEMS98 = IV), the seismic ground motion of between 0.017 and 0.081 g recorded in Quito reduced the resonant frequency of the buildings tested by between 2 and 13%. This confirms the effect of cumulative damage in reinforced concrete buildings located in seismic zones, even for weak ground motions, and the variability of empirical T/H relationships associated with damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecuador is a highly vulnerable country in terms of natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions and tsunami hazards. The education system has a key function to prepare children and adolescents for disaster scenarios. To achieve a nationwide standard of students' knowledge of tsunamis and tsunami hazards, academic research could provide assistance and analyze the current state of students' knowledge and identify possible regional differences. This article introduces to the geodynamic conditions of Ecuador and reports the results of a student questionnaire which was conducted at several Ecuadorian schools at the Pacific coast (Jama, Manta and Puerto Cayo) and in the capital Quito (control condition). It refers to five knowledge-based questions addressing five different topics of tsunami hazards: national regions at risk, locations of safety and danger, formation of a tsunami, risks caused by a tsunami, and protective measures. The statistical results point to significant knowledge differences between school locations at the coast. Comparisons between the coastal schools and Quito additionally indicate nationwide differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quito, the capital city of Ecuador hosting ∼2 million inhabitants, lies on the hanging wall of a ∼60-km-long reverse fault offsetting the Inter-Andean Valley in the northern Andes. Such an active fault poses a significant risk, enhanced by the high density of population and overall poor building construction quality. Here, we constrain the present-day strain accumulation associated with the Quito fault with new Global Positioning System (GPS) data and Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PS-InSAR) analysis. Far field GPS data indicate 3–5 mm yr–1 of horizontal shortening accommodated across the fault system. In the central segment of the fault, both GPS and PS-InSAR results highlight a sharp velocity gradient, which attests for creep taking place along the shallowest portion of the fault. Smoother velocity gradients observed along the other segments indicate that the amount of shallow creep decreases north and south of the central segment. 2-D elastic models using GPS horizontal velocity indicate very shallow (<1 km) locking depth for the central segment, increasing to a few kilometres south and north of it. Including InSAR results in the inversion requires locking to vary both along dip and along strike. 3-D spatially variable locking models show that shallow creep occurs along the central 20-km-long segment. North and south of the central segment, the interseismic coupling is less resolved, and data still allows significant slip deficit to accumulate. Using the interseismic moment deficit buildup resulting from our inversions and the seismicity rate, we estimate recurrence time for magnitude 6.5 + earthquake to be between 200 and 1200 yr. Finally, PS-InSAR time-series identify a 2 cm transient deformation that occurred on a secondary thrust, east of the main Quito fault between 1995 and 1997. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extension parallel to fold axis represents a rarely documented tectonic process that occur in different tectonic settings such as large-scale orogenic belts, mountain ranges, and thrust and fold belts. Along the Ecuadorian Andes, extensional systems have only been reported as tectonic boundaries of local intermontane basins, pull-apart depressions and outer-arc stretching faults along hinge surfaces in compressional antiforms. The Quito fault system shows in planform view a right-stepping en-echelon arrangement which southernmost anticlinal ridge terminates as an arcuate structure locally dissected by the Saguanchi Gorge. Valley hillslopes of this transverse drainage display evidence of tectonic extension featured by several swarms of normal faults commonly dipping towards the valley bottom. Magnetotellurics sounding obtained across a N‒S line parallel to the crestline axis reveals three contiguous and distinguishable domains of which the central one shows a wedge-shaped geometry pointing down. This tectonic evidence for ongoing extensional deformation suggests that the process of fold-axis-parallel extension controlled the tectonic development and dissection of the Saguanchi Gorge across the anticlinal ridge. This episode marks a significant change in the groundwater recharge and aquifer storage conditions between the Quito basin and the inter-Andean Depression aquifer systems, currently in production to provide the potable water supply for the Quito city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Fitzpatrick skin phototype scale (FSPTS) is a widely used instrument to assess skin type.Methods: A cross-sectional survey collected responses from 254 subjects from Quito regarding self-reported FSPTS, gender, age, education, and tobacco and alcohol consumption. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine if ethnicity, hair color, and eye color significantly predict FSPTS. In addition, we studied the correlation between FSPTS and the SCINEXA scale with Pearson's correlation coefficient.Results: Ethnicity, eye color, and hair color are significant independent predictors of FSPTS (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: Patient self-reported race and pigmentary phenotypes are inaccurate predictors of sun sensitivity as defined by Fitzpatrick skin phototype. Our study does not fully represent the population of the country. There are limitations to using patient-reported race and appearance in predicting individual sunburn risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is often related to better economic and living standards and, according to the United Nations, by the mid-21st century, 70% of humankind will live in urban areas. Currently, roughly 80% of the populations in North and South America are urbanized, compared to the global average of 55%. Meanwhile, inequality has also been increasing swiftly, and Latin America is among the most unequal regions in the world. With global urbanization and inequality trends rising, examining the urban areas of a Latin American country could shed light on potential evolution paths. Hence, this article outlines the social and economic evolution of Guayaquil and Quito, the two primary cities of Ecuador. In the 20th century, Guayaquil had economic and demographic advantages; however, Quito has since surpassed Guayaquil on several social, demographic and economic indicators. This article suggests that Guayaquil's relative stagnation is due to an institutional framework favouring the economic and political elites and supports the argument that inclusive local processes and governance (or the lack thereof) can support (or hinder) local economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista CIENCIA UNEMI is the property of Universidad Estatal de Milagro (UNEMI) 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.)

Objective: There is limited knowledge on vitamin D status of children residing in the Andes and its association with undernutrition. We evaluated the vitamin D status of children residing in a low socio-economic status (SES) setting in the Ecuadorian Andes and assessed the association between vitamin D status, stunting and underweight. We hypothesized that children who were underweight would have lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and lower 25(OH)D levels would be associated with a higher risk of stunting. Design: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, the Vitamin A, Zinc and Pneumonia study. Children had serum 25(OH)D concentrations measured. A sensitivity analysis was undertaken to determine a vitamin D cut-off specific for our endpoints. Associations between serum 25(OH)D and underweight (defined as weight-for-age Z -score ≤ − 1) and stunting (defined as height-for-age Z -score ≤ − 2) were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Setting: Children residing in five low-SES peri-urban neighbourhoods near Quito, Ecuador. Subjects: Children (n 516) aged 6–36 months. Results: Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 58·0 (sd 17·7) nmol/l. Sensitivity analysis revealed an undernutrition-specific 25(OH)D cut-off of <42·5 nmol/l; 18·6 % of children had serum 25(OH)D<42·5 nmol/l. Children who were underweight were more likely to have serum 25(OH)D<42·5 nmol/l (adjusted OR (aOR)=2·0; 95 % CI 1·2, 3·3). Children with low serum 25(OH)D levels were more likely to be stunted (aOR=2·8; 95 % CI 1·6, 4·7). Conclusions: Low serum 25(OH)D levels were more common in underweight and stunted Ecuadorian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent and growing need for trained personnel and services to serve children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Ecuador. This article illustrates how, almost 10 years ago, a small group of very committed professionals from multidisciplinary fields decided to fill the void for ASD services by establishing the Centro de Rehabilitación Helen Keller. The authors address the educational and behavioral interventions provided by the team of professionals, support staff, and volunteers that are capitalizing on their collective knowledge and experience to help children, and discuss the vision and goals of the center. Finally, the authors appeal to the global community for professional development opportunities, internships, student exchange programs, and other experiences to increase knowledge, skills, and resources in the area of ASD for Ecuadorian children, youth, and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides details of the Iberoamerican Mathematics Competition for University Students (CIIM) held on the first week of October 2011 in Quito, Ecuador. It mentions that 48 university students from 11 Latin American university teams joined the competition. A brief background of the Mathematics Olympiad Project and its director, Maria E. Losada, is presented. A short history and structure of the CIIM and the math problems used in the competition are included.

The article presents a case study of monumental colonial architecture in Quito, Ecuador, examining questions of European influence and indigenous Andean agency. The author reflects on several buildings in Quito, including the Chapel of San Juan de Letrán, the Church and Monastery of San Francisco, and the Jesuit College.