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La diferencia entre los presupuestos de contrato y ejecución en licitación de obra pública es un problema global. La literatura sugiere como causas prevalentes a la subestimación de precios referenciales de las entidades contratantes, la presentación de ofertas desequilibradas de las empresas contratistas, y la gestión de fiscalización y administración de contratos. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los estudios que abordan este problema se enfocan en la presentación de ofertas desequilibradas. El objetivo de esta investigación es identificar las obras de licitación con mayor probabilidad de que su precio ejecutado aumente en 15% o más respecto del monto contratado. Se analiza una muestra de contratos de licitación de obra publicados en el portal de compras públicas del Ecuador en el período 2008-2019. Utilizando el lenguaje de programación R, se desarrolló un modelo predictivo basado en Naïve Bayes para identificar combinaciones de parámetros de las variables región, sector, monto, plazo y entidad contratante, con probabilidad de 70% o más de que el precio ejecutado supere al contratado en 15%. El estudio identificó 15 combinaciones posibles que se circunscriben en este criterio. Este estudio puede ayudar a contratistas y a entidades contratantes para anticipar conflictos inherentes a la contratación pública.

The diversification processes underlying why Amazonia hosts the most species-rich vertebrate fauna on earth remain poorly understood. We studied the spatio-temporal diversification of a tree frog clade distributed throughout Amazonia (Anura: Hylidae: Osteocephalus, Tepuihyla, and Dryaderces) and tested the hypothesis that Miocene mega wetlands located in western and central Amazonia impacted connectivity among major biogeographic areas during extensive periods. We assessed the group’s diversity through DNA-based (16S rRNA) species delimitation to identify Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) from 557 individuals. We then selected one terminal for each OTU (n = 50) and assembled a mitogenomic matrix (~14,100 bp; complete for 17 terminals) to reconstruct a Bayesian, time-calibrated phylogeny encompassing nearly all described species. Ancestral area reconstruction indicates that each genus was restricted to one of the major Amazonian biogeographic areas (western Amazonia, Guiana Shield and Brazilian Shield, respectively) between ~10 and 20 Mya, suggesting that they diverged and diversified in isolation during this period around the Pebas mega wetland. After 10 Mya and the transition to the modern configuration of the Amazon River watershed, most speciation within each genus continued to occur within each area. In Osteocephalus, only three species expanded widely across Amazonia (Osteocephalus was probably driven by climatic stability, habitat diversity and the acquisition of new reproductive modes along the Andean foothills and western Amazonia. Our findings add evidence to the importance of major hydrological changes during the Miocene on biotic diversification in Amazonia.

The search for new strategies to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has become a global priority. Various nanomaterials have been proposed as ideal candidates to inactivate the virus; however, because of the high level of biosecurity required for their use, alternative models should be determined. This study aimed to compare the effects of two types of nanomaterials gold (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), recognized for their antiviral activity and affinity with the coronavirus spike protein using PhiX174 and enveloped Phi6 bacteriophages as models. To reduce the toxicity of nanoparticles, a species known for its intermediate antiviral activity,Solanum mammosumL. (Sm), was used. NPs prepared with sodium borohydride (NaBH4) functioned as the control. Antiviral activity against PhiX174 and Phi6 was analyzed using its seed, fruit, leaves, and essential oil; the leaves were the most effective on Phi6. Using the aqueous extract of the leaves, AuNPs-Sm of 5.34 ± 2.25 nm and AgNPs-Sm of 15.92 ± 8.03 nm, measured by transmission electron microscopy, were obtained. When comparing NPs with precursors, both gold(III) acetate and silver nitrate were more toxic than their respective NPs (99.99% at 1 mg ml-1). The AuNPs-Sm were less toxic, reaching 99.30% viral inactivation at 1 mg ml-1, unlike the AgNPs-Sm, which reached 99.94% at 0.01 mg ml-1. In addition, cell toxicity was tested in human adenocarcinoma alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549) and human foreskin fibroblasts. Gallic acid was the main component identified in the leaf extract using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The FT-IR spectra showed the presence of a large proportion of polyphenolic compounds, and the antioxidant analysis confirmed the antiradical activity. The control NPs showed less antiviral activity than the AuNPs-Sm and AgNPs-Sm, which was statistically significant; this demonstrates that both theS. mammosumextract and its corresponding NPs have a greater antiviral effect on the surrogate Phi bacteriophage, which is an appropriate model for studying SARS-CoV-2., This research was funded by the University of the Baleric Islands and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Thanks to Dr Mónica Jadán (ESPE) and MSc. Omar Vacas for plant collection. The authors would like to thank Karla Vizuete from CENCINAT for her technical support.

Supplemental material for this article can be accessed here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2022.2089269.; International audience; The Leptodactylus melanonotus species group is an anuran clade widely distributed in the Neotropics. This clade harbours many species that are difficult to identify because of incomplete taxonomic knowledge, ambiguous species boundaries and distribution. Here we expand the understanding of species diversity of this Leptodactylus clade by analysing mtDNA sequences for over 600 individuals, delimiting Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), and updating species identifications and distributions by linking sequences to morphotypes and calls. Also, we review the morphological and acoustic traits traditionally used as diagnostic characters of species within this group. The DNA-based species delimitation analyses yielded 57 OTUs. Given that only 19 taxa are currently recognized as valid species, our results suggest the existence of many unnamed species within the L. melanonotus group. After reassessing morphological traits in the group, we concluded that the combined use of dorsolateral fold, upper lip stripe, and belly colouration is sufficiently informative for species identification in most cases, especially when associated with data on geographic distribution and habitat use. Regarding advertisement calls, the patterns of amplitude and frequency modulation, calling rate, and dominant frequency were also informative for species discrimination. Furthermore, we designate a neotype for L. wagneri, for which we also describe the advertisement call, and make comparisons with congeners of the L. melanonotus group, especially with the partially sympatric L. leptodactyloides. Lastly, we name and describe a new species endemic to the Eastern Guiana Shield. Patterns of distribution and habitat use in the L. melanonotus group revealed that sympatric occurrences are more commonly found among distantly related species, whereas allopatric occurrences correspond to closely related ones. Speciation between closely related species of the group seems to be related to ecological divergence (open vs. forest habitats) in parallel with clear morphological and acoustic differentiation.

International audience; Aim: The Andean superpáramo ecosystem, above c. 4200 m a.s.l., currently forms an archipelago of isolated "sky islands" which provides a unique setting to study biogeography. However, there is still a poor understanding of how past geological events and climatic changes have shaped the distribution of life in this ecosystem. Our aim was to investigate the importance of biogeographic barriers in local diversifications and to analyze how populations have become isolated on current "sky islands".

Supplemental material for this article can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2022.2130464; International audience; Determining the relative importance of dispersal and vicariance events across neotropical regions is a major goal in biogeography. These events are thought to be related to important landscape changes, notably the transition of Amazonia toward its modern hydrological configuration ca. 10 million years ago. We investigated the spatio-temporal context of the diversification of one of the major lineages of Pristimantis, a widespread and large genus of direct-developing Neotropical frogs. We gathered a spatially and taxonomically extensive sampling of mitochondrial DNA sequences from 754 Pristimantis gr. conspicillatus specimens, which led to delimiting 75 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Complete mitogenomes of 35 of these OTUs were assembled and collated with two nuDNA loci to reconstruct a time-calibrated phylogeny. We identified five major clades that diverged around the Oligocene-Miocene transition and that are largely restricted to distinct Neotropical regions i.e. Western Amazonia (P. conspicillatus clade), the Brazilian Shield (P. fenestratus clade), the Atlantic Forest (P. ramagii clade), the Guiana Shield (P. vilarsi clade) and the northern Andes (P. nicefori clade). The majority of the diversification events within these clades occurred in-situ from the early Miocene onward. Yet, a few ancient dispersal/vicariance events are inferred to have occurred among trans-Andean forests, the Atlantic Forest, the Brazilian and the Guiana Shields, but almost none in the last 10 Ma. The radical landscape transformations during the Miocene caused by the Andean orogeny and hydrological barriers such as the Pebas System and the subsequent transcontinental configuration of the Amazon drainage is a likely explanation for the isolation of the different clades within the P. gr. conspicillatus.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo relacionar los estilos de crianza y ciberbullying en adolescentes de la provincia de Tungurahua. Para ello se realizó una investigación con enfoque cuantitativo, de alcance correlacional y de corte transversal. Los participantes fueron 889 hombres y mujeres de 13 a 18 años, pertenecientes a la provincia de Tungurahua. La recolección de datos e información se realizó en modalidad online, mediante una encuesta publicada en la plataforma Google Forms, para lo cual se utilizó un muestreo no probabilístico de tipo bola de nieve. Los instrumentos empleados fueron los siguientes: Escala de estilos de crianza de Steinberg y el “ciberbullying questionnaire” (CBQ) y su complemento el “cuestionario de ciberbullying – victimización” (CBQ-V). El principal hallazgo tras el análisis de resultados refleja la existencia de una correlación muy negativa y significativa entre la subescala Compromiso de los estilos de crianza con los roles de perpetración y victimización en el ciberbullying; es decir que, a mayor compromiso en la paternidad percibida por los hijos, menor es la posibilidad de que aparezcan puntuaciones altas en las modalidades de ciberbullying. La investigación permite concluir que la hipótesis planteada se cumple, debido a que se demuestra la relación entre los estilos de crianza y el ciberbullying en los adolescentes.

[Purpose] The importance of studying polyphenolic compounds as natural antioxidants has encouraged the search for new methods of analysis that are quick and simple. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extracts has been presented as an alternative to determine the total polyphenolic content and its antioxidant activity., [Methods] In this study, aqueous leaf extract of Solanum mammosum, a species of plant endemic to South America, was used to produce AgNPs. The technique of oxygen radical absorption capacity using fluorescein (ORAC-FL) was used to measure antioxidant activity. The oxidation of the 2´,7´-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH2-DA) as fluorescent probe was used to measure cellular antioxidant activity (CAA). Electrochemical behavior was also examined using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Total polyphenolic content (TPH) was analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the major polyphenolic compound was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC/DAD). Finally, a microbial analysis was conducted using Escherichia coli and Bacillus sp., [Results] The average size of nanoparticles was 5.2 ± 2.3 nm measured by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The antioxidant activity measured by ORAC-FL in the extract and nanoparticles were 3944 ± 112 and 637.5 ± 14.8 μM ET/g of sample, respectively. Cellular antioxidant activity was 14.7 ± 0.2 for the aqueous extract and 12.5 ± 0.2 for the nanoparticles. The electrochemical index (EI) was 402 μA/V for the extract and 324 μA/V for the nanoparticles. Total polyphenolic content was 826.6 ± 20.9 and 139.7 ± 20.9 mg EGA/100 g of sample. Gallic acid was the main polyphenolic compound present in the leaf extract. Microbiological analysis revealed that although leaf extract was not toxic for Escherichia coli and Bacillus sp., minor toxic activity for AgNPs was detected for both strains., [Conclusion] It is concluded that the aqueous extract of the leaves of S. mammosum contains nontoxic antioxidant compounds capable of producing AgNPs. The methods using AgNPs can be used as a fast analytical tool to monitor the presence of water-soluble polyphenolic compounds from plant origin. Analysis and detection of new antioxidants from plant extracts may be potentially applicable in biomedicine., This research was funded by the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador www.puce.edu.ec.

International audience; Opportunities to track environmental changes over more than a century are rare in tropical mountains. Edward Whymper’s survey of flora and fauna on the summit of Mt. Corazón (Ecuador, 4788 m a.s.l.) in 1880 provides a unique opportunity to compare historical observations with the current composition of plant and insect communities on a tropical alpine mountain top. We studied Whymper’s archives and historic specimens in London and Paris, and performed a resurvey of vascular plants and ground beetles (Coleoptera Carabidae) in January 2020.Currently, a large part of the summit area of Corazón is heavily damaged by trampling and stone removal due to mountain tourism, and no vascular plants are present in the deteriorated area on the top of the ridge. However, more species were collected in 2020 than in 1880: 22 of vascular plants vs. 7, and 4 of ground beetles vs. 1. Upslope shifts over 140 years may partly explain this increase in species richness, although the low numbers of Whymper’s sampling may also be due to less skilled collectors and to the presence of permanent snow beds on the summit.The current faunistic and floristic data presented in this contribution can be used as a baseline for future resurveys of Corazón, in order to monitor changes in the species distribution and community composition of its summit area. Owing to the very small area of its superpáramo and to the soil deterioration by trampling along the summit ridge, Corazón is especially exposed to the effects of climate change and to the risk of extirpation of endemic cold-adapted specialists.

Este artículo analiza dos modelos clave de los estudios sobre las decisiones judiciales. El objetivo es estudiar los presupuestos de los modelos de la elección racional y los modelos actitudinales, en relación con los estudios existentes sobre la forma de votación del juez Harry Blackmun durante su cargo en la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos. Además, se analizan cuatro casos emblemáticos del juez, a través de los cuales se analiza su voto ideológico o estratégico. Las teorías sobre el tipo de voto en los estudios de comportamiento judicial presuponen que las decisiones de los agentes judiciales se guían por dos grandes tipos de posibilidades racionales: 1) actúan estratégicamente cuando se alinean con las opciones de quien los designa en el cargo o de quien depende su reelección; 2) actúan por convicción cuando, ya sea por su ideología o por fallos dentro de la técnica jurídica, toman sus decisiones. La tesis central de este trabajo es que el análisis de la votación del juez Blackmun permite redefinir, ampliar o mirar críticamente varios de los presupuestos de las teorías y los modelos mencionados. This article analyses two key models of judicial decision-making studies. The aim of this paper is to study the assumptions of the rational choice and attitudinal models in relation to existing studies on the way Justice Harry Blackmun voted during his tenure on the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition, this work analyses four emblematic cases judged by Justice Blackmun, through the perspective of ideological or strategic voting. Theories of voting in judicial behavior presuppose that judicial actors' decisions are guided by two broad types of rational possibilities: 1) they act strategically when align themselves with the choices of the authority who appoints them to office or on whom their re-election depends; 2) they act out of conviction when, either because of their ideology or because of rulings within the legal technique, they make their decisions. The central thesis of this paper is that the analysis of Justice Blackmun's vote allows us to redefine, extend or look critically at several of the assumptions of the theories and models.

Tropical Andean glaciers are retreating rapidly, with possible consequences for trophic structure and ecosystem processes in high Andean meltwater streams. Here, we measured the environmental characteristics, quantified pools of particulate organic matter (POM) and periphyton (Chl. a), sampled benthic macroinvertebrates, determined functional feeding groups (FFG), and performed mesh bag decomposition experiments with Calamagrostis grass detritus at 17 stream sites along a gradient of glacial influence (GI) with 0–23% glacier cover in the catchment at 4050–4200 m a.s.l. in the Andes of Ecuador. POM was unrelated to GI while Chl. a. showed a weak (non-significant) negative relationship to GI. The macrofauna abundance decreased while taxon richness and the number of FFGs per site showed a hump-shaped relationship with increasing GI. Taxa with an opportunistic and generalist feeding mode generally dominated benthic assemblages and were related to high GI levels and low Chl. a. Only shredders were negatively related to GI, but unrelated to POM. Decomposition rates were comparable to those found in temperate alpine streams, and for both fine (0.0010–0.0065; median 0.0028 d−1) and coarse (0.0019–0.0088; median 0.0048 d−1) mesh bags, peaked at intermediate GI values, while the difference between bag types was small and almost constant along the GI gradient. This indicates an overall minor effect of macroinvertebrate shredders compared to that of microbes, in particular at high GI. It also suggests that the relatively high average temperature of these high-altitude equatorial streams (7–10 °C) does not produce higher decomposition rates than those in comparable but colder streams at temperate latitudes. The results suggest that, at the lower end of glacier cover, tropical glacier loss will not change the dominant microbial role in detritus decomposition, but that part of the physical abrasion could be partially replaced by biological shredding.

Introduction The Diabetes Health Profile (DHP‐18), structured in three dimensions (psychological distress (PD), barriers to activity (BA) and disinhibited eating (DE)), assesses the psychological and behavioural burden of living with type 2 diabetes. The objectives were to adapt the DHP‐18 linguistically and culturally for use with patients with type 2 DM in Ecuador, and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods Participants were recruited using purposive sampling through patient clubs at primary health centres in Quito, Ecuador. The DHP-18 validation consisted in the linguistic validation made by two Ecuadorian doctors and eight patient interviews. And in the psychometric validation, where participants provided clinical and sociodemographic data and responded to the SF-12v2 health survey and the linguistically and culturally adapted version of the DHP-18. The original measurement model was evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was assessed through internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha and test–retest reproducibility by administering DHP-18 in a random subgroup of the participants two weeks after (n = 75) using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Convergent validity was assessed by establishing previous hypotheses of the expected correlations with the SF12v2 using Spearman’s coefficient. Results Firstly, the DHP-18 was linguistically and culturally adapted. Secondly, in the psychometric validation, we included 146 participants, 58.2% female, the mean age was 56.8 and 31% had diabetes complications. The CFA indicated a good fit to the original three factor model (χ2 (132) = 162.738, p −0.40 in two of three hypotheses). Conclusions The original three factor model showed good fit to the data. Although reliability parameters were adequate for PD and DE dimensions, the BA presented lower internal consistency and future analysis should verify the applicability and cultural equivalence of some of the items of this dimension to Ecuador.

Las habilidades de adaptación conductual constituyen un conjunto de recursos personales que permiten al adolescente recuperar el estado de bienestar y equilibrio, frente a las crisis que se presentan a lo largo de su desarrollo, las cuales pueden desencadenar alteraciones en la esfera emocional y de personalidad, producto del limitado desarrollo de habilidades que faciliten un adecuado ajuste frente a los cambios experimentados. Por tanto, el estudio se planteó como objetivo analizar la relación existente entre las habilidades de adaptación conductual y las dificultades emocionales y comportamentales de los adolescentes. Se fundamentó en el paradigma post positivista, bajo un enfoque cuantitativo se aplicó una investigación de alcance relacional, de corte transversal. Participaron 416 estudiantes de 14 a 18 años de edad del cantón Ambato. A partir de la aplicación del Cuestionario de Habilidades de Adaptación Conductual (CHAC), el test de Capacidades y Dificultades (SDQ-Cas) y el estadístico de correlación de Rho de Spearman, se obtuvo como resultado que, a nivel global la dimensión Social Contextual presenta una correlación positiva y significativa con la conducta prosocial (.211; p

International audience; Retreating glaciers, icons of climate change, release new potential habitats for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. High-elevation species are threatened by temperature increases and the upward migration of lowlands species. Improving our understanding of successional processes after glacier retreat becomes urgent, especially in the tropics, where glacier shrinkage is particularly fast. We examined the successional patterns of aquatic invertebrates, ground beetles, terrestrial plants, soil eukaryotes (algae, invertebrates, plants) in an equatorial glacier foreland (Carihuairazo, Ecuador). Based on both taxonomical identification and eDNA metabarcoding, we analysed the effects of both environmental conditions and age of deglacierization on community composition. Except for algae, diversity increased with time since deglacierization, especially among passive dispersers, suggesting that dispersal was a key driver structuring the glacier foreland succession. Spatial β-diversity was mainly attributed to nestedness for aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial plants and soil algae, likely linked to low environmental variability within the studied glacier foreland; and to turnover for soil invertebrates, suggesting competition exclusion at the oldest successional stage. Pioneer communities were dominated by species exhibiting flexible feeding strategies and high dispersal ability (mainly transported by wind), probably colonising from lower altitudes, or from the glacier in the case of algae. Overall, glacier foreland colonisation in the tropics exhibit common characteristics to higher latitudes. High-elevation species are nevertheless threatened, as the imminent extinction of many tropical glaciers will affect species associated to glacier-influenced habitats but also prevent cold-adapted and hygrophilous species from using these habitats as refuges in a warming world.

La introducción de las redes sociales, especialmente Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn y recientemente Instagram, constituye una de las formas más novedosas de comunicación a nivel mundial y también en Ecuador. Su utilización es cada vez más exponencial; paradójicamente a las innumerables ventajas que tiene su uso, se evidencia también un alto grado de vulnerabilidad, debido entre otros aspectos a los constantes ataques y amenazas de las cuales son objeto. El propósito de este estudio se concreta mediante la RSL (Revisión Sistemática de Literatura), permitiendo reflexionar sobre las teorías y aportes precedentes en relación con los ataques, vulnerabilidad y mecanismos de seguridad en las redes sociales. Los resultados del trabajo permitieron identificar y siguiendo las pautas de revisión según sus tres fases principales, 28 estudios potenciales en un rango de tiempo comprendido entre el 2012 y el 2020. Derivado del estudio se sistematizaron tres teorías fundamentales: El impacto de las redes sociales en las formas actuales de comunicación, la alta incidencia de ataques y vulnerabilidad, de la cual son objeto y la necesidad de tener integralidad en las acciones a desarrollar desde un posicionamiento multidisciplinar, como única alternativa conducente para la mitigación de los ataques y vulnerabilidad en las redes sociales. Esto implica hacer converger en el proceso de intervención y acciones a desarrollar: el factor humano, el apoyo de la tecnología y las políticas, normativas y regulaciones. Resultando extremadamente importante la educación de los diferentes usuarios sobre el uso adecuado de las redes sociales.

International audience; Rapid warming is a major threat for the alpine biodiversity but, at the same time, accelerated glacial retreat constitutes an opportunity for taxa and communities to escape range contraction or extinction. We explored the first steps of plant primary succession after accelerated glacial retreat under the assumption that the first few years are critical for the success of plant establishment. To this end, we examined plant succession along a very short post-glacial chronosequence in the tropical Andes of Ecuador (2–13 years after glacial retreat). We recorded the location of all plant individuals within an area of 4,200 m2 divided into plots of 1 m2. This sampling made it possible to measure theresponses of the microenvironment, plant diversity and plants traits to time since the glacial retreat. It also made it possible to produce species-area curves and to estimate positive interactions between species. Decreases in soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil macronutrients revealed increasing abiotic stress for plants between two and 13 years after glacial retreat. This increasing stress seemingly explained the lack of positive correlation between plant diversity and time since the glacial retreat. It might explain the decreasing performance of plants at both the population (lower plant height) and the community levels (lower species richness and lower accumulation of species perarea). Meanwhile, infrequent spatial associations among plants indicated a facilitation deficit and animal-dispersed plants were almost absent. Although the presence of 21 species on such a small sampled area seven years after glacial retreat could look like a colonization success in the first place, the increasing abiotic stress may partly erase this success, reducing species richness to 13 species after 13 years and increasing the frequency of patches without vegetation. This fine-grain distribution study sheds new light on nature’s responses to the effects of climate change in cold biomes, suggesting that faster glacial retreat would not necessarily result in accelerated plant colonization. Results are exploratory and require site replications for generalization.

True toads of the genus Rhinella are among the most common and diverse group of Neotropical anurans. These toads are widely distributed throughout South America, inhabiting a great diversity of environments and ecoregions. Currently, however, the genus is defined solely on the basis of molecular characters, and it lacks a proper diagnosis. Although some phenetic species groups have traditionally been recognized within Rhinella, the monophyly of some of them have been rejected in previous phylogenetic analyses, and many species remain unassigned to these poorly defined groups. Additionally, the identity and taxonomy of several species are problematic and hinder the specific recognition and description of undescribed taxa. In this work, we first perform phylogenetic analyses of separate mitochondrial and nuclear datasets to test the possible occurrence of hybridiza-tion and/or genetic introgression in the genus. The comparative analysis of both datasets revealed unidirectional mitochondrial introgressions of an unknown parental species into R . horribilis (“ghost introgression”) and of R . dorbignyi into R . bernardoi; therefore, the mitochondrial and nuclear data-sets of these species were considered separately in subsequent analyses. We performed total-evidence phylogenetic analyses that included revised molecular (four mitochondrial and five nuclear genes) and phenotypic (90 characters) datasets for 83 nominal species of Rhinella, plus several undescribed and problematic species and multiple outgroups. Results demonstrate that Rhinella was nonmono-phyletic due to the position of R . ceratophrys, which was recovered as the sister taxon of Rhaebo nasicus with strong support. Among our outgroups, the strongly supported Anaxyrus + Incilius is the sister clade of all other species of Rhinella. Once R . ceratophrys is excluded, the genus Rhinellais monophyletic, well supported, and composed of two major clades. One of these is moderately supported and includes species of the former R . spinulosa Group (including R . gallardoi); the mono-phyletic R . granulosa, R . crucifer, and R . marina Groups; and a clade composed of the mitochondrial sequences of R . horribilis. The other major clade is strongly supported and composed of all the spe-cies from the non-monophyletic R . veraguensis and R . margaritifera Groups, the former R . acrolophaGroup, and R . sternosignata. Consistent with these results, we define eight species groups of Rhinella that are mostly diagnosed by phenotypic synapomorphies in addition to a combination of morpho-logical character states. Rhinella sternosignata is the only species that remains unassigned to any group. We also synonymize nine species, treat three former subspecies as full species, and suggest that 15 lineages represent putative undescribed species. Lastly, we discuss the apparently frequent occurrence of hybridization, deep mitochondrial divergence, and “ghost introgression”; the incomplete phenotypic evidence (including putative character systems that could be used for future phy-logenetic analyses); and the validity of the known fossil record of Rhinella as a source of calibration points for divergence dating analyses.

El artículo tiene como propósito divulgar los resultados de una investigación desarrollada en las unidades educativas fiscales del circuito 06-11 de la ciudad de Latacunga, provincia de Cotopaxi, Ecuador, sobre la necesidad de ofrecer una adecuada respuesta pedagógica a las dificultades que se presentan en el proceso de inclusión educativa llevado a cabo en el país. Metodológicamente tuvo un diseño no experimental, transversal y socio-constructivista respaldado por una labor de campo con la población relacionada; directivos, docentes, psicólogos y estudiantes con discapacidad intelectual, por medio de una encuesta aplicada a los docentes, una entrevista a los directivos y psicólogos, una ficha observación en clase y una revisión exhaustiva del Documento Individual de Adaptaciones Curriculares (DIAC). Dentro de los resultados más importantes alcanzados se encuentran el haber determinado el alto grado de desconocimiento que existe sobre el manejo de la inclusión integral educativa de los estudiantes diagnosticados con discapacidad intelectual, confirmándose la incorrecta práctica de dicho proceso dentro del aula, pues aunque la inserción de este grupo prioritario ha marcado un gran avance en la sociedad educativa ecuatoriana, hay que recalcar que existen numerosas falencias que dan al traste con su humano propósito debido a la falta de capacitación metodológica de los docentes y el incorrecto trabajo con las adaptaciones curriculares. Esta situación permite concluir que en las instituciones fiscales estudiadas no se cumplen las orientaciones establecidas para llevar a efecto el derecho de los niños y adolescentes con discapacidad intelectual a estudiar en igualdad de oportunidades.

Ecuador is a small, dollarized country, primo oil exporter and far from global shipping networks. It has, however, managed in a decade to become the world’s third largest exporter of cut flowers by entering global value chains. This success is based on the adoption of a unique economic model, based on small flower farms and customized production. Counter-intuitive to the standard approaches and practices of the main competing countries, this export model remains very fragile.; Ecuador es un pequeño país dolarizado, principalmente exportador de petróleo alejado de las redes marítimas mundiales. Sin embargo, en una década, ha logrado convertirse en el tercer exportador mundial de flores cortadas al ingresar a las cadenas de valor globales. Este éxito se basa en la adopción de un modelo económico único, basado en pequeñas fincas florícolas y producción a medida. En contraposición con los enfoques estándar y las prácticas de los principales países competidores, este modelo de exportación sigue siendo muy frágil.

Field photographs of plant species are crucial for research and conservation, but the lack of a centralized database makes them difficult to locate. We surveyed 25 online databases of field photographs and found that they harboured only about 53% of the approximately 125,000 vascular plant species of the Americas. These results reflect the urgent need for a centralized database that can both integrate and complete the photographic record of the world’s flora. Field photographs are essential for research and conservation, but are difficult to access since there is no central database or connection between archives. The 25 leading databases hold only 53% of the plant species of the Americas, illustrating the need for increased work on collecting and standardizing this valuable data.

El presente estudio tiene como propósito poner de manifiesto la eficacia de las actividades lúdicas, para fortalecimiento de las inteligencias múltiples en el aula. A través del análisis de los referentes teóricos y metodológicos, que corroboren el planteamiento de actividades que estimulen el desarrollo de diferentes habilidades y destrezas que se encuentran latentes en los estudiantes. En este sentido, la investigación toma como referencia la teoría de Gardner para la elaboración de la propuesta educativa que motive la participación del estudiante en el aprendizaje, por medio de actividades eminentemente lúdicas. Para el efecto, se aplicó un estudio empírico de carácter descriptivo, comparativo y de corte longitudinal. Las técnicas empleadas fueron la psicométrica y la encuesta. Se aplicó el Cuestionario de Identificación de Inteligencias Múltiples, antes y después de la experiencia didáctica con componente lúdico. Los participantes fueron 36 adolescentes (56% masculinos y el 44% femeninos), con un promedio de 13 años de edad. Los resultados determinaron que existen una mejoría en el desempeño de los estudiantes después de la intervención aplicada. Se evidenció cambios significativos en las inteligencias: lingüística, lógico matemática, espacial, interpersonal e intrapersonal, lo que indica que el aprovechamiento de los recursos lúdicos favorece el aprendizaje y el rendimiento; optimizando de esta manera, el esfuerzo cognitivo.

La presente investigación se realiza en Pelileo, un cantón de la Provincia de Tungurahua, reconocido a nivel nacional por su producción de prendas en denim como pantalones jeans, vestidos, blusas y chaquetas. El objetivo de este documento es caracterizar las funciones del diseñador de modas en la industria de confecciones de la ciudad, para analizar la pertinencia de la oferta académica del Instituto Tecnológico Superior Pelileo. La metodología aplicada fue predominantemente cuantitativa con alcance exploratorio-descriptivo: Se recopilan datos relacionados a las funciones del diseñador y se analizan los resultados para levantar conclusiones y recomendaciones pertinentes. Los resultados muestran que el 77% de las empresas emplean a los diseñadores en actividades multifuncionales, tales como cortes, producción, confección entre otras, únicamente el 22% se dedican exclusivamente a actividades creativas, es así que los empresarios contratan a profesionales con un perfil multidisciplinario. Por otra parte, el 72% de las empresas de Pelileo, independientemente del año de su fundación, o el género de sus propietarios, cuentan con un diseñador de modas. Asimismo, se identifica que los programas digitales más usados en las empresas son el ilustrador y optitex, que actualmente no constan en la malla curricular del Instituto, por lo que es indispensable que se instruya a los estudiantes de diseño de modas, acorde a la praxis y demandas de las empresas de confección locales.

© 2020 by the authors., Captive-bred organisms are widely used in ecology, evolution and conservation research, especially in scenarios where natural populations are scarce or at risk of extinction. Yet, it is still unclear whether captivity may alter thermal tolerances, crucial traits to predict species resilience to global warming. Here, we study whether captive-bred tadpoles of the gliding treefrog (Agalychnis spurrelli) show different thermal tolerances than wild-caught individuals. Our results show that there are no differences between critical thermal limits (CTmax and CTmin) of captive-bred and wild-caught tadpoles exposed to three-day acclimatization at 20 °C. Therefore, we suggest that the use of captive-bred amphibians is valid and may be appropriate in experimental comparisons to thermal physiological studies of wild populations., This study was supported by AECID (AP/038788/11) and MINECO (CGL2012-40246-C02-01 and CGL2017-86924-P) grants to M.T. and A.M. and Severo Ochoa (SEV-69) funds to M.T. Frogs ex situ management was funded by Dirección General Académica of PUCE through research grant L13227 to A.M.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:40:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-05-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) CYTED Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo Natural Environment Research Council Newton Fund Understanding of tropical forests has been revolutionized by monitoring in permanent plots. Data from global plot networks have transformed our knowledge of forests’ diversity, function, contribution to global biogeochemical cycles, and sensitivity to climate change. Monitoring has thus far been concentrated in rain forests. Despite increasing appreciation of their threatened status, biodiversity, and importance to the global carbon cycle, monitoring in tropical dry forests is still in its infancy. We provide a protocol for permanent monitoring plots in tropical dry forests. Expanding monitoring into dry biomes is critical for overcoming the linked challenges of climate change, land use change, and the biodiversity crisis. Tropical Biodiversity Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh School of Geography Faculty of Environment University of Leeds Fundación Ecosistemas Secos de Colombia School of Geosciences The University of Edinburgh Geography College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro Centro de Ecologia Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas Ciencias Básicas de la Biodiversidad Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Herbario Departamento Académico de Biología Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina Center for Conservation and Sustainability Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario (IICAR) Facultad Ciencias Agrarias UNR Universidad Nacional de Rosario Escuela de Biología Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Real Jardín Botánico CSIC Laboratório de Ciências Ambientas Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de Sao Paulo Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado Universidad Autonoma Gabriel Rene Moreno Unidade Acadêmica de Garanhuns Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal da Bahia International Master Program of Agriculture National Chung Hsing University Departamento de Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal do Ceará Centro de Tecnologia e Recursos Naturais (CTRN) Universidade Federal de Campina Grande Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (PPGCB) Centro Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros Ciencias Biologicas Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Fauna y Flora Silvestre Universidad Nacional de Colombia Facultad de Ciencias Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso Herbario HOXA Jardín Botánico de Missouri Embrapa Semiárido Embrapa Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto Universidade de Sao Paulo Laboratório de Fenologia Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista Departamento de Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal de Viçosa Departamento de Ciências Florestais Universidade Federal de Lavras Department of Forest Sciences Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas Instituto de Astronomia Geofífisica e Ciências Atmosféricas Universidade de São Paulo Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Wageningen University and Research Laboratório de Fenologia Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista FAPESP: 2015/50488-5 CYTED Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo: 418RT0554 Natural Environment Research Council: NE/I027797/1 Natural Environment Research Council: NE/I028122/1 Newton Fund: NE/N000587/1 Newton Fund: NE/N01247X/1 Newton Fund: NE/N012550/1