Ecuador

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a highly prevalent endocrine-metabolic disorder in women of reproductive age. Diagnosis is based on the evidence-based international guideline 2018 and the Rotterdam Consensus to classify PCOS phenotypes. This study aims to characterize the biodemographic, clinical, metabolic, and reproductive variables and their relationship with PCOS phenotypes in a population from the Ecuadorian Andes. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-random consecutive sample of 92 women who attended the outpatient gynecology and endocrinology clinic at the Hospital of the Technical University of Loja (UTPL)-Santa Inés, Loja, Ecuador, between January 2022 and July 2023...

Background/Purpose : Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine-metabolic disease most common in patients of childbearing age. This pathology is associated with clinical, metabolic, and reproductive complications. We evaluated the diversity of the vaginal microbiota (VM), the vaginal inflammatory reaction (VIR), the proinflammatory state, and the activation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) with the production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Methods : Thirty-three patients who attended a consultation at the Hospital UTPL-Santa Inés, Loja, Ecuador, from May to August 2023 who were diagnosed with PCOS participated in this study...

Research on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions within refugee and migrant communities has increasingly focused on evaluating implementation, including identifying strategies to promote retention in services. This study examines the relationship between participant characteristics, study setting, and reasons for intervention noncompletion using data from the Entre Nosotras feasibility trial, a community-based MHPSS intervention targeting refugee, migrant, and host community women in Ecuador and Panama that aimed to promote psychosocial wellbeing...

There is increasing guidance promoting the provision of mental health and psychosocial support programs to both migrant and host community members in humanitarian settings. However, there is a lack of information on the respective experiences and benefits for migrant and host community members who are participating in mental health and psychosocial support programming. We evaluated a community-based psychosocial program for migrant and host community women, Entre Nosotras, which was implemented with an international non-governmental organization in Ecuador in 2021...

Oral Mucosal Lesions (OMLs) are conditions of the oral mucosa that cause alterations in their presentation and pain in the affected patient, highlighting their importance for study. The aim of this research is to determine the prevalence of oral lesions in the Ecuadorian Austro. Descriptive statistics were used to associate variables, yielding statistically significant findings based on oral lesions, sex, and geographical environment. This study was conducted under the appropriate bioethical permissions. The results obtained correspond to the prevalence of lesions by province...

OBJECTIVES: To identify differences in the mean vitamin D concentrations in samples obtained from a private laboratory in Quito and to explore their relationship with the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods spanning from 2018 to 2022. DESIGN: A combination of an interrupted time series design and a retrospective cross-sectional approach. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The study involved 9285 participants who had their 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels tested at a well-known private laboratory in Quito, Ecuador, from 2018 to 2022...

BACKGROUND: Pancreas transplantation is a crucial surgical intervention for managing diabetes, but it faces challenges such as its invasive nature, stringent patient selection criteria, organ scarcity, and centralized expertise. Despite the steadily increasing number of pancreas transplants in the United States, there is a need to understand global trends in interest to increase awareness of and participation in pancreas and islet cell transplantation. METHODS: We analyzed Google Search trends for "Pancreas Transplantation" and "Islet Cell Transplantation" from 2004 to 14 November 2023, assessing variations in search interest over time and across geographical locations...

UNLABELLED: There is no evidence evaluating the IL10 epigenetic upregulation among mestizo children in a high-altitude Andean city in Latin America. OBJECTIVE: To identify polymorphisms and methylation profiles in the IL10 gene associated with asthma in children aged 5 to 11. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted with asthmatic and non-asthmatic children aged 5 to 11 years in Cuenca-Ecuador. Data on allergic diseases and risk factors were collected through a questionnaire for parents...

OBJECTIVE: This article aims to analyse the evolution of 40 Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs) health-related indicators in Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019. STUDY DESIGN: Epidemiological study of long-term trends in 40 SDGs' health-related indicators for Brazil and Ecuador from 1990 to 2019, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study. METHODS: Forty SDGs' health-related indicators and an index from 1990 to 2017 for Brazil and Ecuador, and their projections up to 2030 were extracted from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Disease website and analysed...

UNLABELLED: Reports addressing the effects of oily fish intake on bone health are inconsistent. This study shows that consumption of ≥ 5.2 oily fish servings/week (728 g) is associated with lower prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis in elderly women of Amerindian ancestry. Results suggest a beneficial effect of oily fish intake in this population. OBJECTIVES: Oily fish is a major dietary source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients that may have a positive effect on bone health...

INTRODUCTION: Admission to university has been identified as a period involving the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. However, few studies have addressed the extent of this experience among Latin American university students. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to describe anthropometric variables, body composition, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep duration and quality, diet, and alcohol consumption in first-year students entering physiotherapy school at the Universidad de las Americas in Quito, Ecuador; second, to test differences in these variables between sexes...

Under anthropogenic pressures and climate change, most ecosystems are showing signs of reduced resilience. Unfortunately, some are more at risk of collapse and, without interventions, they may lose biodiversity, ecological integrity and ecosystem services. Here, we describe two tools that were developed under the auspices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Red List of Ecosystems and the Nature-based Solutions Global Standard, and their capacity to first identify the ecosystems at risk of collapse in a nation and then develop solutions based on nature to improve their resilience...

Smoking is a worldwide epidemic and increased prices are one of the most cost-effective measures to reduce tobacco consumption. This article aims to estimate the price and income elasticity of cigarettes for different population groups in Ecuador. The National Survey of Urban and Rural Household Income and Expenditures (ENIGHUR) 2011-2012 was used, which has information on household cigarette consumption and its sociodemographic characteristics. Deaton's Almost Ideal Demand System, which decouples the effect of quality on the price of the good, was applied...

Subduction zones generate the largest earthquakes on Earth, yet their detailed structure, and its influence on seismic and aseismic slip, remains poorly understood. Geological studies of fossil subduction zones characterize the seismogenic interface as a 100 m-1 km thick zone1-3 in which deformation occurs mostly on metres-thick faults1,3-6 . Conversely, seismological studies, with their larger spatial coverage and temporal resolution but lower spatial resolution, often image the seismogenic interface as a kilometres-wide band of seismicity7 ...

Infections caused by mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), are a major public health issue worldwide. An accurate diagnosis of mycobacterial species is a challenge for surveillance and treatment, particularly in high-burden settings usually associated with low- and middle-income countries. In this study, we analyzed the clinical performance of two commercial PCR kits designed for the identification and differentiation of MTBC and NTM, available in a high-burden setting such as Ecuador...

INTRODUCTION: Understanding human mobility's role in malaria transmission is critical to successful control and elimination. However, common approaches to measuring mobility are ill-equipped for remote regions such as the Amazon. This study develops a network survey to quantify the effect of community connectivity and mobility on malaria transmission. METHODS: We measure community connectivity across the study area using a respondent driven sampling design among key informants who are at least 18 years of age...

The literature mostly has addressed the determinants of entrepreneurial intention in general and social entrepreneurship, without focusing specifically on sustainable entrepreneurial intention despite it has become highly relevant in addressing environmental degradation and social challenges. This study aims to contributes to the understanding of psychological and social factors that influence sustainable business, evaluating the effect of resilience, subjective norms, and perceived social support on sustainable entrepreneurial intention...

The blue shark Prionace glauca plays a critical role as a predator in marine ecosystems but is threatened by by-catch. To obtain more precise biological data, a Bayesian approach was used, and 536 vertebrae samples collected during 1 year at the landing stage called "Playita Mía" Manta, Ecuador, were analysed. The objective was to estimate the age and growth parameters of the species. The size of the specimens varied between 116 and 310 cm in total length (TL). Using a Bayesian approach based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, growth parameters were evaluated...

Research-based education at the undergraduate level is ideal for fostering the training of future scientists. In an undergraduate Developmental Biology course, this learning strategy requires the availability of model species and enough research reagents, not only for technique training but also for the development of student original projects. This might be challenging in most countries, where resources are limited. Hence, there is a need to develop low-cost solutions for use in the classroom. In this study, we describe the optimization and use of two low-cost protocols in zebrafish embryos for hands-on practical sessions and project-based learning in a Developmental Biology undergraduate course in Ecuador...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze dengue hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality trends in Ecuador, along with sociodemographic factors influencing adverse outcomes. METHODS: This study included 31,616 dengue hospitalizations in Ecuador during 2015-2022, of which 115 (0.36%) died. Data were extracted from national hospital registries. Age adjusted rates were calculated, and for the analysis of changes in trend, a Joinpoint regression was performed. Multivariate binary and multinomial logistic regressions were performed for assessing sociodemographic factors influencing dengue adverse outcomes...