Central University of Ecuador

About: Central University of Ecuador is a education organization based out in Quito, Ecuador. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 2220 authors who have published 1910 publications receiving 15052 citations.

Emerging new avian reovirus variants from cases of enteric disorders and arthritis/tenosynovitis in Brazilian poultry flocks.

Abstract: 1. The objective of this study was to characterise circulating Brazilian avian reovirus (ARV) strains by genetic analysis of the σC protein encoded by segment 1 of the viral genome and compare these with those of viral strains used for immunising commercial poultry.2. The analysis detected the presence of ARV genomes by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) in the enteric samples and the joint tissues (JT) of birds with signs of viral arthritis/tenosynovitis. Nucleotide sequencing used 16 strains (three commercial vaccines, 10 from enteric tissues and three from JT). The results indicated high variability in the amino acid sequences of 13 wild strains, showing between 40% and 75% similarity compared with the vaccine strains (S1133 and 2177).3. The sequences were grouped into three well-defined clusters in a phylogenetic tree, two of these clusters together with previous Brazilian σC ARV sequences, and one cluster (VII) that was novel for Brazilian strains. Antigenic analysis showed that there were amino acids within putative epitopes located on the surface of the receptor-binding region of the σC protein with a high degree of variability.4. The study confirmed the presence of ARV genetic variants circulating in commercial birds in Brazil, and according to the antigenic prediction, the possibility of antigenic variants appears to be high.

XPS depth profile study of porous zirconia films deposited on stainless steel by spray pyrolysis: the problem of substrate corrosion

Abstract: Zirconia (ZrO 2 ) films of tissue-like structure and narrow pore size distribution have been deposited by spray pyrolysis using aqueous zirconyl chloride octahydrate (ZrOCl 2 .8H 2 O) precursor solutions. Stainless-steel sheets, protected or unprotected by a ZnO barrier layer, have been used as the substrate material held at 473 K. The ZnO barrier layers have been deposited on the stainless steel held at 523 K by spray pyrolysis using a zinc acetate precursor. Their property of corrosion protection to stainless steel has been proved by electrochemical polarization measurements in 0.5 M NaCI solution. A complementary study of XPS (depth profiling, mapping) and x-ray diffraction has shown that the unprotected steel substrates were corroded during ZrO 2 film post-annealing in air at T > 773 K, whereas steel substrates protected with a compact barrier layer of crystalline ZnO before ZrO 2 film deposition did not show surface corrosion even after annealing up to 997 K.

Molecular differentiation of Entamoeba spp. in a rural community of Loja province, South Ecuador.

Abstract: Although previous epidemiological surveys in Ecuador indicate the presence of Entamoeba histolytica, prevalence data of this parasite remain scarce. Most of the studies were based on microscopic examination, which does not allow a morphological differentiation from the non-pathogenic Ent. dispar and Ent. moshkovskii. In the present study, 674 stool samples from a South Ecuadorian rural community were screened for Entamoeba spp. Subsequently, molecular identification was performed on 101 samples containing Ent. histolytica/Ent. dispar/Ent. moshkovskii cysts. The study indicated the absence of Ent. histolytica in this South Ecuadorian community and confirmed the difficulty of differentiating Entamoeba spp. based on morphological features.

Thyroid cancer overdiagnosis and overtreatment: a cross- sectional study at a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador.

Abstract: In contrast to the rapid increase in thyroid cancer incidence, the mortality has remained low and stable over the last decades. In Ecuador, however, thyroid cancer mortality has increased. The objective of this study is to determine possible drivers of high rates of thyroid cancer mortality, through a cross-sectional analysis of all patients attending a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador. From June 2014 to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, a regional reference public hospital for endocrine neoplasia in adults in Quito, Ecuador. We identified the mechanism of detection, histopathology and treatment modalities from a patient interview and review of clinical records. Among 452 patients, 74.8% were young adults and 94.2% (426) were female. 13.7% had a family history of thyroid cancer, and patients’ median tumor size was 2 cm. The incidental finding was 54.2% whereas 45.8% was non-incidental. Thyroid cancer histology reported that 93.3% had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 2.7% follicular, 1.5% Hurtle cells, 1.6% medullary, 0.7% poor differentiated, and 0.2% anaplastic carcinoma. The mean MACIS (metastasis, age, completeness, invasion, and size) score was 4.95 (CI 4.15–5.95) with 76.2% of the thyroid cancer patients having MACIS score less than or equal to 6. The very low and low risk of recurrence was 18.1% (79) and 62% (271) respectively. An analysis of 319 patients with non-metastatic thyroid cancer showed that 10.7% (34) of patients had surgical complications. Moreover, around 62.5% (80 from 128 patients with thyroglobulin laboratory results) of TC patients had a stimulated-thyroglobulin value equal or higher than 2 ng/ml. Overall, a poor surgical outcome was present in 35.1% (112) patients. Out of 436 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, 86% (375) received radioactive iodine. Thyroid cancer histological characteristics and method of diagnosis are like those described in other reports without any evidence of the high frequency of aggressive thyroid cancer histology. However, we observed evidence of overtreatment and poor surgical outcomes that demand additional studies to understand their association with thyroid cancer mortality in Ecuador.

Mamíferos pequeños en la dieta de la lechuza tyto alba (strigiformes: tytonidae) en dos localidades del occidente de ecuador, con ampliación distribucional de ichthyomys hydrobates (rodentia: cricetidae)

Abstract: En el presente estudio a partir de 107 egagropilas de la lechuza, determinamos el consumo de 300 presas agrupadas en 21 especies, las egagropilas fueron colectadas en dos localidades de diferente ambiente Los Santiagos y La Cienaga, en las provincias de Chimborazo y Manabi, al occidente de Ecuador. Nuestros analisis revelaron una dieta compuesta mayoritariamente de mamiferos pequenos, sobre todo roedores, quienes constituyeron el 80%. Entre las presas mas abundantes se encontro a Oligoryzomys sp. que represento el 38.7% de la dieta en las muestras de Los Santiagos y Sigmodon peruanus 33.6% en La Cienaga, siendo el 22,5% y 41% respectivamente de la biomasa total consumida para cada sitio. La rata cangrejera Ichthyomys hydrobates es reportada por primera vez en la dieta de la lechuza y tambien en la localidad de Los Santiagos, ampliando el rango distribucional de este roedor para el centro-sur al occidente de Ecuador en aproximadamente 200 km.